The Playground
by makesmyheadspin
Summary: STORY MOVED TO WORDPRESS AFTER CHAPTER 10. SEE MY PROFILE FOR LINK. In a world before the Great Revelation, Sookie's life has gotten pretty dull. After being invited by Tara & Eggs, she decides to apply for membership at The Playground, an adult club that allows its members to explore their sexuality. In doing some research she decides to explore her submissive side & meets Leif.
1. Chapter 1

Alright so this is sort of like my response to all that 50 Shades of Horseshit. For the record it should be known that I am not personally involved in a D/s relationship. What I know of it comes from research that I've done, whether it's blogs that I've read on tumblr, Google searches, eyeballing some stuff on Fetlife (the BDSM community's answer to Facebook) or through talking to people who ARE involved in these sorts of relationships. I've had the very trusted Lubadub go over this with a fine tooth comb for me because she's awesomesauce and knows her stuff.

So this story is going to include a D/s relationship and go into decidedly non-vanilla territories. Because I'm personally not comfortable writing a lot of things I don't think this goes too far. I'll be sure to include warnings when I think they're necessary. Hopefully no one is offended by this because it's not just about writing porn or smut. There is a real plot and a real relationship taking root here, but it's not your typical boy meets girl, boy asks girl on a date, boy falls in love with girl kind of story.

I've been wanting to write something like this for a long time and the right idea presented itself when I got to thinking about the end of Living Dead in Dallas. This is a play on the sex club that Tara and Eggs are a part of in Bon Temps, only I took that super creepy group of rednecks and refined it a little bit. **Also, in this universe it is important to note that vampires are NOT out of the coffin.** Anyway... here's the first chapter. I don't know what the posting schedule is going to be but I'm just about finished with chapter 27. We'll see what the demand is like for more of this.

Super huge thanks to Lubadub, Missy Dee and kjwrit for acting as cheerleaders/betas and kick ass fangirls.**  
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**Chapter 1**

The car came to a stop outside of a converted private airplane hangar. From the outside it didn't look like anything other than a hangar. Cars were parked along the gravel path that led up to it and when I stepped out of the car I could hear music coming from speakers that were mounted to the exterior of the large building.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sookie?" Tara asked as she reached for my hand. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, I want to. It's time to try something different."

At first when Tara told me that she was involved in an underground sex club I thought she was kidding. Tara was the last person (other than me) that I would suspect would be into that sort of thing. Just goes to show that it's a mistake to judge a book by its cover. Even more intriguing was that she had met her current boyfriend there.

Gaining admittance to The Playground was quite a process. It was a members only kind of place and you had to be invited in by someone who had been a member for at least two years. I had been invited by Eggs, Tara's boyfriend, and I was pretty sure there were some universities with laxer acceptance standards. Eggs submitted my name for nomination and along with that was a recommendation that was reviewed by the club owner and a committee of other people. Not all submissions made it to the nomination phase, from what Eggs told me, but whatever he had said (along with the photograph of me) had been enough for the committee to extend me an invitation via email.

From that point I had to fill out a questionnaire on their website, and some of the questions were pretty personal. I supposed it made sense since it was a sex club and there were potential health risks involved by having multiple sexual partners or engaging in what most people would consider to be risky behavior. There were medical history questions, questions about what my hard and soft limits were, what sort of things I had experienced in the past and what I was hoping to accomplish by becoming a member.

Honestly I wasn't sure what I hoped to accomplish. All I knew was that I was in need of a change. Once my questionnaire was reviewed and accepted, I was called in to a nondescript office building in downtown Shreveport where I was interviewed by a woman I knew only as Madame Raven. There was a camera on me the whole time and she had an earpiece in that allowed her to relay questions from whoever was pulling her strings.

The interview had been damn near brutal, but they had liked me well enough to send me to their physician to be tested for STDs and HIV/AIDS. I was also given a drug and pregnancy test. I came back clean for everything, as I suspected I would since I'd never even smoked a cigarette and I'd always been very safety conscious when it came to sex. All in all it took about six weeks for a decision to be made.

"Have you picked out your alias?" Tara asked as we walked to the door.

"Yeah, I think so," I smiled.

"Are you going to tell me, or do I need to guess?"

I had given it some thought. At first I was seriously considering Scarlet after my favorite fictional character, but I decided that was too close to my actual name so I spent some more time thinking about it. Tara's alias was Sindee and I needed to remember that once we were inside.

"Are you ready?" Eggs asked when we got to the door. He pressed his thumb to a pad and once his print was accepted the door opened automatically. My own prints had been taken the day I came in for my interview. A thumbprint was the only way to get into The Playground's building.

"What's your name again?" I asked him.

"Devlin," he replied with a sly smile.

"Deviled eggs," I whispered under my breath and laughed to myself, wondering if Eggs had done that on purpose.

Eggs led us to the desk where we were supposed to check in. We could leave our coats and purses there if we wanted to. Club rules permitted us to bring in certain props, but they were still inspected beforehand to make sure no one was smuggling drugs into the club. So far they hadn't been raided and they wanted to keep it that way. I was a probationary member so I had to be on my best behavior for six months.

I felt a cool fingertip brush against my shoulder and my head turned to see Madame Raven smiling at me, and she had fangs. She was dressed in what looked like a vintage Parisian gown circa 1890 with lace gloves going up past her elbows. Her hair was immaculately styled, and her cleavage rivaled my own in its epicness.

"Fresh meat," she purred.

"Madame Raven, nice to see you again," I nodded respectfully.

"I'm glad you could join us. Let me check in Sindee and Devlin, and then I'll go over the check in procedures with you so you don't have to come with these two every time. I also have a few forms for you to sign," she said.

I hung back and took in the decor of the club while Tara and Eggs checked in. The hangar didn't look much like a hangar on the inside that was for sure. I had been told that I would be given a guided tour my first time at the club. I knew from the stairwell to my right that there was at least a second floor.

"If you need anything," Tara touched my arm to get my attention, "Devlin and I will be on the Swingset. You can come find us or have Madame Raven page us."

"I think I'll be fine. If I need to leave I'll just go," I told her. I wasn't going to interrupt their fun even if I realized The Playground wasn't for me. "Go have fun. I'll see you guys later."

Tara winked at me and then looped her arm through Eggs' before the two of them headed for the door that took them out of the main lobby.

"So, Sookie, have you decided on an alias?" Madame Raven asked.

"I have," I nodded, but all of a sudden the name I'd picked flew out of my head. "I think I'm going to go with Scarlet."

It was the only name that came to mind and I had to give them something.

"Scarlet suits you," Madame Raven smiled a little.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Please do."

"Did you have fangs the last time I talked to you, or are they just a part of your costume?"

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I'd like to think I would have noticed fangs before this, but I was nervous last time so I might have missed them."

"Here, I need you to sign this release form that states you have been medically cleared and you understand the risks to your health by participating in high risk sexual behavior. Under that is a BDSM release form that lists all of your limits and can be updated at any time should your status change with anything. That information is made public to our other members. Then there is one more form that I need for you to print your alias on. From this point on you will be known here only as Scarlet. Confidentiality is something we take very seriously here.

"Should you become personally involved with another club member we ask that you inform us, and that you leave your personal shit at the door. By that I mean we don't want our security mediating your argument or for the other members to be made to feel uncomfortable because of it. You received a copy of our rules and regulations already so you know all of those things. Those rules are as much for your safety as they are for ours. Failure to comply will result in your immediate expulsion from the club and termination of your membership. There are no second chances or do overs. Once you forfeit your membership it's canceled for life. Do you have any other questions?" Madame Raven spoke like she'd given that speech a thousand times, and she probably had.

"I was just wondering why we have to wear all black."

"Because a lot of the rooms are dark for a reason and bright colors may detract from the effect. If you're going straight up to a reserved room for a scene to act out you're welcome to bring a costume to change into," she explained.

"Good to know," I nodded.

"Indeed."

I read over and signed the forms she had put in front of me. When I handed them back to her she picked up a phone and spoke quickly in another language I didn't know.

"Leif will be down momentarily to take you on the tour. In the meantime feel free to look around or go on over to the bar for a drink. Oh, and Scarlet?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome to The Playground. I hope you make a lot of new friends."

"Thank you, Madame Raven," I curtsied a little bit, and then I was tapped on my shoulder.

I whipped around to see a tall man with shoulder length blonde hair the same shade as mine towering over me. He had piercing blue eyes and a strong jaw. He was incredibly handsome and there was something very powerful about the energy he was giving off.

"You must be Scarlet," he smiled down at me.

"I am. You must be Leif."

"That's correct. Care to join me on the tour?" he asked and offered his arm.

I nodded and took a deep breath. Ready or not here I come.

"So I take it you're aware of the various theme rooms we have here," Leif said as we started on our tour.

"Yes, I am. I've spent a lot of time on the website looking around, plus my friend T-" I caught myself and said, "Sindee has been a member here for a while now."

"Yes, I know Sindee," he smiled.

"She told me some things about this place before I applied for membership, and it piqued my interest."

"I read the profile you put up on the website," he told me. "It says you're interested in domination and bondage?"

My cheeks flushed a little and I said, "I find the paradox of it to be fascinating. On the surface it looks like the sub has no control, but really it's by giving up control that the sub has _total _control of what's happening."

"Very true," Leif nodded.

"I can understand the appeal of turning your mind off and just doing what you're told," I continued. "Not thinking but trusting that you'll be taken care of while simultaneously pleasing someone."

"Sounds like you've done your research, Scarlet."

"I've read a few blogs and looked at a few other websites, but I would be way too nervous about meeting someone over the Internet to get into the life that way."

And there was no way on God's green earth that I was going to announce my curiosities to the limited boys in the dating pool back home. Good southern girls weren't supposed to be into this sort of thing, and my Gran would die of mortification if she found out I'd been curious about what it would be like to be tied up and spanked during sex.

"The Internet can be a good and scary place at the same time," Leif agreed.

"Sort of like The Playground," I said with a nervous laugh, and Leif stopped walking.

"You're completely safe here, Scarlet. No one will make you do anything you don't want to do, and you can limit your play to when you're here to ensure it. The Playground protects its members while giving them room to explore their fantasies and curiosities. The key, if you're so inclined, is to find the right Dominant to suit your needs."

"That's good advice, thank you," I smiled at him and felt my nerves ease a little.

"Are you ready to take a look at the Swingset?" he asked me.

I nodded and Leif leaned into me a little so he could reach the doorknob behind me. I breathed in his scent and discovered there was no aftershave or cologne coming from him. He simply smelled of soap and whatever it was that comprised his own natural scent. That, all on its own, was a little intoxicating. The door opened and immediately I heard voices behind me, some speaking while others were moaning. Leif stood upright and took my hand.

I felt a shiver run up my arm at the touch of his skin on mine, and then turned at his direction to get my first look into one of the playrooms at The Playground.

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**Okay, so there's your introduction. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Thanks so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoa. Guess you guys like the premise I'm working with here. That's always great news. A lot of you have asked if Sookie is a telepath in this story. It will become obvious to you, but the answer is no, she's not a telepath. I like the idea of her choosing Eric because of HIM and not because she can't read his mind, just like I like the idea of Eric being attracted to Sookie for her and not because she CAN read minds. This seemed like a good place to play with that, so no, Sookie isn't a telepath.  
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**For now... we'll see what the muses do to her. Pray for her, will you?  
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**Chapter 2**

I stepped into the room that was known as the 'Swingset,' and tried not to look around with eyes that were too wide. Leif stuck close to me, which I appreciated, and explained the purpose of the room.

"This room is designated for couples," he explained with his lips close to my ear, and it raised another round of goose bumps that spread out over my entire body. "In here couples can swap partners, whether it be a same sex swap or opposites sexes swapping. Sometimes this results in multiple couples playing together, or in a single couple going off to engage in play with their friend for the evening on their own."

I looked around the room to see there were some couples just talking, perhaps making arrangements, while others were having sex. There were plush sofas gathered toward the center of the room, and then were various beds and other pieces of furniture throughout the rest of the room to give the couples a place to play. My eyes traveled all over the room and not in a single corner was there an actual swingset.

I should have known better.

What I did see was Tara with another woman, and I quickly averted my eyes. I decided that I wouldn't be spending much time in that particular room if that was where Tara and Eggs liked to spend their time. It was one thing to be involved in the same club, but it was another to actually watch one of my closest friends getting it on with a strange woman. I didn't even know that Tara was into women.

"Any questions?" Leif asked, and I swore I felt his lips brush against my ear.

"No," I managed to get out quietly.

"Then let's proceed," he said, and tugged me from the room.

We went back into the hallway we had come from and I took a deep breath.

"Feeling overwhelmed already?" he smirked, and I found myself wanting to lick the raised portion of his lips.

"Just a little. Until now the kinkiest thing I've ever done is have sex with the lights on," I admitted, and Leif's smirk grew into a full smile.

"Everyone has to start somewhere, and you've taken a big step just by acknowledging your curiosity, Scarlet," he assured me with a gentle touch on my shoulder and that moved up to my neck.

I liked the way his skin felt on my mine, and that he looked into my eyes when he talked. I felt safe with him, which I wasn't expecting I would. I didn't know anything about him at all, but there was a connection forming between us.

We continued on the tour and he showed me several other rooms I was quite certain I was never going to need to enter. I had no interest in becoming sexually involved with someone who was transgendered (not that there was anything wrong with someone who was), nor did I have any interest in getting it on with someone old enough to be my grandfather. It amazed me how many subcultures ran through the sexuality spectrum, and Leif was very informative as he guided me through the The Playground.

"Finally, I've saved the best for last, since I presume this is the space that will interest you the most," he said as we came to a stop in front of what looked like a very heavy black door. "This is our dungeon."

Just the word 'dungeon' got my heartbeat to sky rocket. In my mind I was seeing chains hanging from the ceiling or the walls with bodies strewn up just waiting to be punished in some painful way.

"Are you ready?" Leif asked me.

"Yes," I squeaked, but he didn't open the door.

"Scarlet, close your eyes for me," he said in a calm, soothing voice and I did as he asked. "Now take a breath so deep you feel it in your stomach, hold for three seconds and then release it slowly."

I inhaled deeply like he told me to, held onto it for three long seconds and then released it slowly. His hand moved to that spot on my neck like he was cradling me, and that feeling of being safe and protected filled me. As I let the breath go I felt the relaxation flood through my body. Leif was good; I had to give him that.

"Better?" he asked when I opened my eyes.

"Yes," I smiled, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Leif opened the door and gestured for me to walk ahead of him.

Like in the other rooms it was as if no one noticed we were making our entrance. Play didn't stop for us, nor did anyone attempt to get us involved in their games. It was like we were invisible.

The walls looked like an honest to goodness dungeon with the dank cobblestone from floor to ceiling. The floor in that room was cement and there were drains at various points, and a part of me prickled at guessing what those drains might be needed for. There were what some might consider to be implements of torture hanging on the walls—paddles, floggers, whips, riding crops, leather straps, and a few other things that I couldn't even name were present and accounted for. My heart started to speed up again at the sight of some of the sex toys that were on display.

The Playground's rules and regulations noted that all toys were sterilized between uses, and it was recommended that members bring their own items if they were going to be engaging in regular play, that way there would be no question in regards to cleanliness. Part of being a member of The Playground meant monthly STD testing to ensure that diseases were not being passed around the club. A member was banned from play until the disease was treated and if anyone was discovered to be carrying something incurable like herpes or HIV, their membership was terminated.

Knowing that the club took the safety of its members so seriously was part of what had convinced me to accept their membership offer. Obviously everyone that became a member of the club was interested in exploring something in their sex life and I was no different, but that didn't mean we wanted to put our health at risk to do so. Leif guided me around the room, explaining what various devices were for. We came upon a woman that was bound to something called a Sybian. She had a ball gag in her mouth and her arms were bound tightly behind her with the same blue rope that bound her legs to the contraption the Sybian was resting on.

"What's going on here, Talon?" Leif asked a burly bald man with violet eyes.

"Punishment," Talon said in a gruff voice. "My slut got greedy so now I'm going to make her cum until she can't handle anymore."

"How many has she had?" Leif asked.

"I think we're about to hit number seven."

"Seven orgasms?" My eyes went wide.

"In eight minutes," Talon looked over at me.

_Holy shit._

"You're the new girl," Talon smiled at me.

"Yes, I'm Scarlet. Nice to meet you," I curtsied a little and offered my hand.

Talon pulled off the leather glove he was wearing and shook my hand.

"You're interested in being a sub?" he asked.

"How did you know?" I looked from him to Leif.

"Because I can see it in your eyes," Talon informed me as the woman on the Sybian started to orgasm again. "That's it, slut, cum for me. Say hello to Scarlet."

The woman on the Sybian made some sort of noise and eye contact with me to let me know she was attempting to communicate, but I couldn't understand what she was saying thanks to the gag and the orgasm.

"Hello," I nodded so she'd know I'd sort of gotten her message.

"Are you thinking of training her?" Talon asked Leif.

Leif was a Dom? Of course I had no way of knowing that since he hadn't offered it, but I felt my heart flutter a little at the possibility. I was attracted to him, there was no denying that, and he also gave me that safe feeling that was probably important in a Dom/sub relationship.

"I'm not sure I have time," Leif said, and my heart sunk.

"Well, if you need someone to train you hit me up on the web and we'll talk," Talon offered to me.

I nodded but wasn't sure that Talon was really the kind of guy I wanted to get involved with. He was pierced in various places and had a large tattoo of what looked like a Bengal Tiger on his meaty upper arm.

A cracking sound from across the room had me turning my head to see a man strapped up to what I knew to be a St. Andrew's cross with a woman in white leather standing before him with a flogger in her hand. I watched as she reached up and placed nipple clamps on the guy, and he thanked her for the pain she was giving him. There were dueling voices in my head, arguing over what I was seeing. On the one hand I was intrigued by it all, and slightly anxious to experience for myself. On the other, there was a part of me that worried I was a sick, twisted puppy for finding any of this sexy.

Leif led me from the room and out into the hall again.

"You look a little pale," he informed me. "Why don't we go to the bar and get you a drink, and we can talk about all of this?"

"Yes, please," I said politely and let him lead me down the hall.

To his credit, Leif didn't speak or ask my any questions until we were settled on the lobby area. He was drinking a Bloody Mary while I was more of a Gin and Tonic kind of girl. The bartender was Native American and wearing a leather vest that exposed his many tattoos. The guy kind of gave me the creeps, but I made sure to sit with my back to him when Leif and I selected a sofa.

"So, what do you think about the things you've seen so far tonight?" Leif asked me after I'd taken a few sips of my drink.

The gin was working its way into my system and was doing its part to calm my nerves, as well as quiet the dueling voices in my mind.

"I think it's an entirely different world than what I'm used to," I confessed. "Growing up around here I've always been told that sex is something that a person is supposed to save for the person they marry. The only safe sex that gets taught around here is abstinence. I didn't know about condoms until I got to college."

Leif didn't look surprised, so I assumed he'd heard something similar to that before.

"This place is… I'm a little overwhelmed," I told him, although I was sure he'd already figured that out for himself.

"It's okay to be overwhelmed. The important thing is to not put too much pressure on yourself to be something you're not."

I took another one of those deep breaths, and then another drink of my gin and tonic. My nerves steadily calmed themselves, but my mind kept flashing back to the woman on the Sybian back in the dungeon.

"You're thinking about the woman, aren't you?" Leif asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"How did you…" I trailed off, unsure of how he knew.

"Because your eyes lit up when you saw that," he informed me.

"They did?"

He nodded and said, "Talon jumped the gun in presuming I would be interested in training you."

"Training me?" I quirked an eyebrow since I was still new to the language of a BDSM relationship.

"To be mine," Leif said, and there was a nice little tingle that came along with the thought of being his.

"What would something like that involve? Have you done it before?"

"Your enthusiasm is a good sign," Leif smirked, and my cheeks flamed a little. "Scarlet, while your name appears to be quite appropriate," he teased, which only made my blush deepen, "there is no need to be ashamed or embarrassed."

"I'm sorry, I just don't know… I feel out of my element a little here, like maybe I'm in over my head, but in a good way? I don't know…" I trailed off with my eyes finding the floor.

Leif leaned over and tilted my chin up with the tips of his fingers so I had to look into his eyes. God, they were so beautifully blue. It was cliché to compare them to the ocean, but that was what they looked like, and I knew it would be easy to get lost if I stared into them for too long.

"Relax, Scarlet," he said in a hypnotic tone of voice that did all sorts of things to me. "Give yourself some credit and room to explore. Remember what I said about not having to do anything you don't want to do."

I nodded just a little and he released my chin.

"To answer your question, yes, I have trained someone before. In fact, I have trained several girls. What it entails to train someone is a much more complicated answer," he said, and took a big drink of his bloody Mary. "Training differs by the Dom, but I can tell you overall that training is designed to allow you to give up complete control to your partner. You would learn obedience and ways to not only trust yourself better, but to conquer your fears. By appearing to be weak, you become strong."

"Sounds almost like a guerilla warfare tactic," I smiled faintly, and that made Leif bark out a laugh that I wasn't expecting to hear.

I enjoyed the mirth in his eyes when he laughed, and the fact that when he was finished he lifted my hand to kiss my knuckles.

"If you're interested in being trained, Scarlet, I will make the time to do it," he told me.

My eyes widened and I couldn't help smiling myself.

"Are you sure? If you're too busy I—"

"Finding the right Dom is as important as finding the right pet," he said, and kissed my knuckles again.

"You want me to be your pet?" I asked, feeling that blush creep up again.

"I want us to take the time to negotiate a contract and see if we are compatible. If we can find the right terms and we find that we suit each other, then yes, I would very much enjoy having you as my pet," Leif told me.

Madame Raven cleared her throat to get Leif's attention and he turned toward her.

"Pardon me, Leif, but the Boss is on the phone for you; she says it's urgent," Madame Raven said.

"Of course it is," Leif said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Scarlet, I look forward to meeting with you soon."

"Likewise," I said as he rose and left the lobby, leaving his drink behind.

The bartender snatched it away quickly, but brought me a refill on mine. Madame Raven came over and sat down beside me. Her fangs were gone, but I just assumed she got tired to putting them back in place. I had dressed as a vampire as a child and those fake plastic fangs were a pain in the ass to keep where they belonged.

"So, you seem to have made quite an impression on Leif," Madame Raven smirked.

"Oh, I uh… I don't…"

"He hasn't trained a girl in a great many years," she informed me. "You would be his first in a long time, and he is a very good master."

"He seems very nice," I agreed. "Do you know him well?"

Madame Raven's smirk grew into a smile, the same as Leif's had earlier on.

"Of course I do," she said. "I'm the last girl he trained."

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**Dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuuun. Please tell me you all figured out who Madame Raven is. If you haven't, that'll be revealed to you in the coming chapters. I'm also pretty sure you recognize Talon as well. Don't worry, he won't be training Sookie. In fact, we won't see much of him in this story. Thank you so much for your positive response to this story so far. I'm glad you're enjoying it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I didn't see Leif again before leaving The Playground. I went back to the dungeon once on my own and just looked around. There were so many things to be curious about. After Talon had finished up his session with a girl I came to know as Bunny, he was kind enough to lay down some of the basics for me from his perspective. It was nice because it gave me the opportunity to ask some questions that I hadn't necessarily been able to find answers for on the internet.

The big question was, "How did you know this was something you wanted to get into?"

Talon was patient in explaining things to me, and was able to put into words his feelings on the subject in a surprisingly eloquent way considering the language he'd used when talking to Bunny.

"There is something artistic about this lifestyle, Scarlet. As a Dominant it is my job to take good care of my sub. There is a wealth of mutual respect between Bunny and me, even though it may not always appear to be that way. We each want to please each other, but we go about it in different ways. She wants to serve me, and because of that it is my job to ensure that sure is obedient and lives by the rules I set for her. Her dedication to being the best she can be drives me to want to help her be better. It may seem like I am the only one benefiting from our relationship because it appears to be crafted solely around my wants and needs, but the point is that my needs have become _her_ needs. We are one and the same.

"You saw her being punished tonight because she didn't follow my command not to cum. I could have caused her pain instead, but sometimes pain isn't the answer. I'm sure you've heard that there is a fine line between pleasure and pain, and when your body is exposed to too much pleasure it no longer feels good after a while; it becomes painful. My slut learned her lesson by being forced to orgasm over and over again. I'm sure that sounds like a reward instead of a punishment, but I assure you, fifteen minutes on the Sybian with the speed cranked all the way up without being able to adjust your position to avoid all that vibration isn't as much fun as it sounds like it would be," Talon told me.

"Do you enjoy inflicting pain on your sub?" I asked him.

"I enjoy correcting her behavior and helping her to remember her place," he told me. "Her tears are mine, so when she cries I know it is out of release from whatever she has been holding inside. It's important to note that there is a huge difference between a dominant sexual partner and an abuser. The relationship I have with Bunny is all about consent. Nothing happens without her permission, Scarlet, and any time she feels like she's about to enter a place where she feels unsafe or is not willing to go, she has a safeword that will stop everything immediately.

"A good Dom will listen for that word and respect his sub when she uses it. An abuser will continue on with little to no regard for the use of that word. An abuser will ignore your limits and not just push them a little. For instance, if you make it clear that you're not into urine play," he said, and I cringed a little at the mention of it. I didn't see how _anyone_ could be into it, but some people were. "That it's a hard limit for you, then it would be completely inappropriate for your Dom to piss on you as a punishment."

My expression very clearly showed what I was trying to keep to myself. If someone _peed on me_ as a punishment that would be the last thing they ever did. No way in hell was I down with that, and I didn't see a time in my life when I would _ever_ be accepting of it. I hoped like hell that if Leif was serious about training me that he wasn't into that kind of thing either because **_ew_**.

"I think I get what you're saying," I told Talon as he walked me out of the dungeon.

"It may take some time to come to terms with what is definitely not a vanilla lifestyle, but just because you enjoy being submissive doesn't mean that has to be your life twenty-four-seven. Bunny and I see each other outside of here and we do normal things that any other couple would do. We go to movies, have dinner, take walks in the park, spend time with each other's family… all that normal stuff. We have talked about living the life twenty-four-seven, but she doesn't feel ready for that yet and as her Master I concur."

"Have you ever lived the life full-time?"

"I have," he nodded. "But I think it would be better if you talked to another sub about what that's like since it's different from my perspective than it is from hers. I'm sure my Bunny would be more than willing to take you under her wing if you're interested."

"That might be very helpful," I admitted as we walked back toward the lobby.

Talon assured me that Bunny would be in touch via the website, and then excused himself to go get cleaned up. I stayed in the lobby until Tara and Eggs appeared close to midnight. They came down from upstairs where I had been told there were private rooms, as well as locker room areas for people to get cleaned up after, or before, playing. After a stop in the orgy room on the first floor I could see why locker rooms would be a necessity. I was afraid to walk in the orgy room, and would hate to have the job of cleaning that place up every night.

The Playground closed at four in the morning and opened again at nine in the evening. As far as I could tell that was plenty of time to get your kicks, and members were encouraged to meet outside of the confines of The Playground, as long as secrecy and anonymity were maintained—barring that members were in agreement to share their personal lives with one another. For some, I got the feeling, they didn't want their private business being a public issue. I could certainly relate.

"So, what do you think?" Tara asked me as we walked out to the car.

"I think this is going to be an interesting experience," I told her.

I didn't feel comfortable discussing certain things in front of Eggs, which Tara seemed fine with. When we got back to Tara's house I got in my car and headed home. It was well past midnight by that point, and Gran was already tucked in bed for the night. The porch light was on, and Tina, our cat, greeted me at the back door when I came into the house. I stopped to get myself a glass of water and take off my shoes, and then Tina followed me upstairs to my bedroom.

After getting my dress off I went to the bathroom and washed the makeup off my face and brushed my teeth. I was tired. Between the long day physically and all of the emotional ups and downs over the course of the night I was ready to pass out. Tina waited for me on my bed, and once I was snuggled in under my covers she curled up beside me and promptly fell asleep, as did I.

Two days later I was paying some bills on my laptop when an email came in from The Playground's website, informing me that I had a private message waiting. I clicked on the link to the message and saw that Leif had sent me something. The subject line read: **Training Resume**. I clicked on it and the message opened up.

_Dear Scarlet,_

_My apologies for being unable to get back to you the other evening; I was greatly enjoying your company. Please know that my offer to train you still stands, and if you're serious about considering it I ask that you fill out the attached resume. It will give me a chance to get to know you better. Compatibility is important, as is communication and honesty. If this is going to work between us, I need to know everything about you. I don't expect you to write it all down for me, as we will talk a great deal and that will help me to learn about you as well._

_For now, I need to know the basics that aren't listed in your sub profile that you filled out when you were still in the application stage. Based on what I've seen, however, I think we might work quite well together. Take your time filling this out. If you've changed your mind and decided that being trained isn't for you after all, kindly reply to this email so I don't waste my time waiting for a resume that will never come._

_I look forward to seeing you again soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Leif_

I opened the attachment he'd sent me and it seemed fairly basic, just like he'd said in his message. Some of the questions would require some thought and would force me to open up to him about things in my past that I would prefer to keep to myself, but I could understand why it would be important that he knew those things. There was a second attachment that contained an even more comprehensive list of limits for me to go through, and this time he wanted to know not just what I wanted to have done to myself, but what I would be willing to do with others.

It was a lot to consider and I was going to need some time to think it all over, so I decided it would be best if I emailed him back to let Leif know that it was going to take me a while to gather all of the information for him.

_Dear Leif,_

_Thank you so much for getting back to me. I'm sorry we didn't get the chance to speak more, but I understand you're busy. I greatly appreciate your offer, and I do accept it. I've looked over the attachments you've sent me and they're pretty… detailed. For that reason I'm going to need a few days to fill them out before I can return them to you. Would it be best that I return them via this website, or do you have another way you would prefer to contact me?_

_Again, thank you for your offer, and I look forward to negotiating a contract with you._

_Have a great day, _

_Scarlet_

I nearly put my real name there, but figured he was going to find out what my real name was soon enough anyway. Since Talon and Bunny were in a relationship that extended beyond playing together I had to assume they knew one another's real names. I couldn't help wondering what Leif's was, and tried to see if I could figure it out in my head. He looked like a Viking, so names like Gunnar, Lars and Thor were filtering through my brain, but I sincerely doubted any of those were winners.

I hoped to get an email back from him, but that didn't happen… at least not right away. When I _did_ get a response it was later that night when I got home from work. My back was killing me and I really could have used a good foot massage at that point. Waiting tables sucked, but at least it allowed me to pay my bills. After a quick shower I was on my computer, and elated to see a new message from Leif waiting for me.

He was delighted I was accepting his offer and had given me another email address outside of the website to contact him at. I was just about to click back to my gmail account when a little chat window popped up on the Playground's website. It was Leif.

**Leif**: Did you get my message?

**Scarlet:** Yes, I just got it now. Thank you for getting back to me.

**Leif:** Out partying, were you?

**Scarlet:** Hardly. I'm a waitress at the local watering hole and I worked the closing shift.

**Leif:** I see. So you're generally a night owl?

**Scarlet:** Something like that. Mostly I'm happy to have tomorrow off.

**Leif:** We could meet tomorrow. I have some free time.

I beamed at the idea of spending some time with him. There was something about Leif that just put me at ease, and I got the feeling he was correct about us getting along well.

**Scarlet:** I would enjoy that very much. Where would you like to meet?

**Leif:** You choose. I will come to you.

**Scarlet:** Okay. Are you familiar with Shreveport?

**Leif:** Very, and if I don't know the place offhand I'll rely on GPS to get me there.

**Scarlet:** Alright, then how about the diner on the corner of 84th and LeBlanc?

**Leif:** Sounds perfect. How's 8 PM?

**Scarlet:** Perfect.

**Leif: **Excellent. And Scarlet?

**Scarlet:** Yes, Leif?

**Leif:** Wear red. Your prospective new Sir very much enjoys red.

**Scarlet:** Thanks for the tip, Sir. I'll see you tomorrow ;)

**Leif:** Have a pleasant evening.

With that Leif was gone and I had a date to meet up with my first potential Dom the following evening. I was both excited and a little terrified, and I wasn't sure how I was going to get myself to sleep.

* * *

**Okay, so here's the thing. I haven't read any of that 50 Shades hot mess so I am not extremely familiar with the plot of the books aside from it being a total insult to people who live a BDSM or D/s lifestyle. What I know if it is what I've been told. To that end, this story really is going to enforce the importance of communication, trust, honesty and consent. Without those four things you do NOT have a BDSM or D/s relationship, you have an ABUSIVE relationship and there is a HUGE difference between the two. **

**As I said before, I'm not participating in this lifestyle so all of this comes from research and my own overactive imagination. I don't know that I ever could participate in this kind of a relationship, but I do find the psychology of it to be fascinating. Every D/s relationship is different. There is no cookie cutter way for it to go. What works for one couple doesn't necessarily work for another because everyone has different limits. It's important to me to highlight the differences between being in a D/s relationship and being in an abusive one, and my pre-readers have assured me that no lines are crossed. Then again, this is all a matter of perception because what be okay to one submissive might be completely NOT okay with another.  
**

**Anyway... thank you so much for reading! I'm really happy that you're enjoying this story so far. If you have any questions you want to ask or anything like that you can also reach me at my fanfic tumblr. There's a link to it in my profile and you don't need to be a member in order to ask me a question. Until the next chapter :)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Per Leif's request I made sure I was wearing plenty of red. When I dressed, I dressed from the skin. That meant I was wearing red matching underthings under the red dress with white polka dots on it. I had a pair of five inch peep toe wedges that had a pattern matching the dress. I put on a pair of white owl earrings and a necklace that had belonged to my mother. The cross hanging from the chain had been a gift from _her_ mother the day my parents got married.

My nails were also painted the precise shade of red that matched my dress and shoes. When I put on my makeup I did so with a lighter hand than I'd used on my first night at The Playground, and I left my hair down in loose waves that hung around my shoulders. Something in my gut told me that Leif was the kind of guy that preferred girls who wore less makeup, although I had no idea why I felt that way. One look at Madame Raven, his former trainee, and it was obvious if he had required her to wear less makeup she had abandoned the practice.

I wondered what that was like, working with a guy who had once been her Dom. After being so intimately linked to someone I wasn't sure I would be able to shelve all of that history and just be friends or acquaintances. Was it awkward for Madame Raven to know Leif was taking on a new trainee? How did Leif feel about Madame Raven possibly having a new Dom in her life? What had caused them to part company anyway?

I was curious about all of those things but figured it wasn't really my place to ask either of them about it. If they felt like sharing information they would do so in their own time. Until then, I would just keep my questions all to myself.

When I was ready I headed downstairs to find Gran kneading dough at the kitchen table, presumably for bread since she was still in the habit of making her own instead of buying it at the grocery store. Swear to God I'd never had store bought bread until I was in college, and it had nothing on Gran's homemade stuff.

"You look nice, honey," Gran said when she looked up. "Where are you off to?"

"Oh, I'm meeting a friend for coffee in Shreveport," I told her.

"That's nice," Gran smiled. "Is this a gentleman friend?"

Gran's eyes were hopeful, and I couldn't say I blamed her. My brother was three years older than me and no closer to getting married than I was. Gran had been dropping hints for the last three years or so that she's expecting to see some great grandbabies before she dies, and obviously she's not getting any younger. I was in a relationship that lasted for almost four years before it all went in the tank. I'd thought maybe my ex was the one, and I knew Gran had approved of him but it just didn't work out in the end.

"Yes, Gran, I'm meeting a man, but we're not romantically involved." I figured that was the best way to put it for the time being. I wasn't sure how our relationship would evolve if Leif started training me. Obviously we would be getting to know each other very well, but I wasn't sure if it would be a romantic relationship. The lines were a little blurry to me, but I was hoping that Leif would help me sort things out.

"Well if it becomes romantic you bring that young man around the house to meet me," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," I smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I don't think I'll be too late, but don't wait up for me just in case."

"Have fun, darlin'," Gran said as I walked out the kitchen door.

My little yellow car was parked around the side of the house like usual, and I got in behind the wheel. The new Carrie Underwood song streamed out of my speakers as I backed away from the house, and then headed up the driveway. When I got to the end of it I saw my brother's truck approaching so I turned out onto Hummingbird Road, and Jason's truck slowed down.

"Hey, Sook, where you off to?" he asked.

"Going to meet a friend. Gran's making bread in there right now," I warned him.

"Oh, good! Think she'll give me a loaf?"

My brother, the mooch.

"Probably. You going to Merlotte's later?"

"Of course," he said like I should know better. "Have fun doin' whatever you're doin'."

"You do the same. Stay outta trouble," I laughed, knowing Jason's middle name should have been trouble.

Jason waved and then turned into Gran's driveway. I, on the other hand, headed toward Shreveport.

When I got to the diner I'd suggested I parked on the street in front of it and then went inside to find a place to sit. I was ten minutes early, but that wasn't unusual. I hated being late; it always threw me off. Even if I woke up just five minutes late in the morning it threw me off for the rest of the day. I was a creature of habit, which may or may not be a good thing when it came to being a sub.

A sign by the door told me to seat myself, so after I looked around to make sure Leif wasn't waiting on me, I picked a booth that was a little further away from the door or the kitchen so we'd have a bit more privacy. There were a few other customers inside as well, but I assumed the crowd would thin down pretty significantly in the next few minutes. At precisely eight o'clock, Leif walked through the door and I raised a hand to wave to him.

He nodded when he saw me, and took a seat across from me in the booth. He was dressed similarly to the way he had been the other night in a perfectly tailored black suit, only this time he had a crimson handkerchief tucked into the breast pocket. The dark colors worked nicely against his golden hair, bright blue eyes and pale skin.

"Thank you for meeting with me," I said as a waitress poured me a cup of coffee.

"Can I get you something to drink?" the waitress asked Leif.

"Coffee," he said.

The waitress nodded and then flipped over his mug to pour him a cup as well. "Do you need a few minutes to look over your menus?"

"Oh, uh, yes, please," I smiled up at her.

"Nothing else for me," Leif said.

"If you're in a rush I don't need to order anything else," I told him once the waitress was gone.

"No, it's not that. I ate dinner already."

"Ah," I nodded.

"So, Scarlet," he smirked a little bit. "Tell me what makes you want to be a sub."

I was stuck for a moment while I considered my answer.

"Honestly, I think it's just a curiosity. I think it would be a challenge for me since I'm notoriously stubborn and strong-willed. My Gran raised me to be independent and obviously being a sub would mean being a part of a team."

"You realize that doing this means a lifestyle change," he said. "There are rules that I do not bend on that wouldn't interfere with your limits in any capacity. I've read in your profile that you're okay with discipline and punishment."

"Yes," I nodded. "I don't want to be marked where anyone can see it, and I definitely don't want to be scarred because of those things."

"That's fine," he assured me. "There are ways to correct behavior that don't leave physical marks, and you may come to change your mind over time."

I didn't think I would, but six months ago if someone had suggested I would be meeting up with a guy to discuss how hard he could spank me (or with what) I would think their cheese slid off their cracker.

"What sort of rules are you referring to?" I asked him.

"If you agree to be mine I would require that you call me every day when you wake up. I understand that your schedule is flexible because of your work hours. I wouldn't demand that you call me every morning at seven if there is a possibility that you might not be able to get home to bed until three. It is important that you be healthy, and that means being well-rested."

I smiled at that. That right there was more considerate than some of my previous boyfriends had been, and I was drawn to the idea of someone looking out for me that way. Not that my Gran hadn't done such things, but she had emphasized the importance of self-reliance. Getting involved with someone like Leif would mean learning to lean on him, too.

"I would ask that you inform me of your daily to-do list, and at the end of the day when you check-in with me, any tasks that aren't completed will resort in a punishment. I would ask that you refrain from swearing. Above all, I demand that you are always honest with me, even if you are worried about offending me or hurting my feelings. You are still entitled to your own opinions, wants, dreams, feelings, etc. It is _crucial_ that you be forthcoming with me about everything. If we're going down a path that makes you uncomfortable, or if at any time there are limits that need to be reset it is imperative that you tell me about it," Leif said.

"I can do that."

"Are you sure?" he retorted. "Total honestly and full disclosure aren't as easy as you think, Scarlet. If it was that easy everyone would do it. I'm talking about having absolutely no secrets from one another."

"I can work on it, how's that?" I offered a small smile.

"Spoken like a natural submissive," he smiled back.

I took a drink of my coffee while Leif's remained untouched. I tried not squirm under the weight of his stare, but it was difficult not to. I also wondered what he was thinking since he was very good at keeping his features locked down. For all I knew he was thinking of the fastest way to end our meeting so he could get back to The Playground where there were more interesting people to play with than some silly girl who didn't know what she was interested in, or what she was capable of offering.

"Do you have any other questions?" Leif asked me after a few minutes of silence.

"I do," I said, but I was nervous to spit it out.

"Scarlet, it's okay. Whatever you have a mind to ask, you're welcome to ask. Full disclosure, remember? This won't work if we aren't completely open and honest with each other."

"Okay," I nodded, and gathered up my courage. "Well, I was wondering if you training me is purely a sexual thing, or if it's a regular relationship?"

"That depends on you, quite honestly, and what you're looking to get from the experience. If all you want is the release of going into subspace, then it's possible to meet up only for play. But if what you're looking for is a bigger commitment then that is also something we can work on."

"So does that mean we would go on dates like a normal couple?" I asked him.

"If that's something we both agree that we would like, then yes. Is that something you're interested in, Scarlet?"

My cheeks flushed which was probably answer enough for Leif. I would be insane not to be attracted to him. I had been thinking about him pretty much nonstop since we met, and I was insanely curious as to what it would be like to be His. Just thinking about it got my heart fluttering and my panties wet, not that I felt comfortable telling him either one of those things.

But this was about pushing my limits, wasn't it?

"Full disclosure?" I asked, and Leif nodded. "Yes, it is."

My cheeks felt like they were on fire, but all I got in response was more of Leif's piercing stare. All of a sudden he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

"What's your cell number, Scarlet?" he asked me.

"Oh, I uh, I don't have one," I admitted.

"No cell phone?" he looked shocked, to say the least.

"Nope, no cell phone. It doesn't exactly fit in my budget."

He nodded and said, "Then I should warn you that if you agree to be Mine, I will add you to my plan and pay the bill. You should have a way to contact me at all times, as well as the phone is for your own safety. You work late hours and should something happen you should be able to call for help at any time."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the look on Leif's face stopped me from doing that.

"Scarlet, it is the job of a good Dom to see to it that His sub has everything she needs, and I do mean _everything_," he said. "Whether it's new clothes, assisting her with paying any bills she might be falling behind on, or even a cell phone that doesn't fit in her regular budget."

"Leif, I don't know if I feel comfortable asking for—"

"You're not asking," he cut me off. "That's just a part of being Mine."

I nodded and wondered how I was going to explain it to Gran. Lying to her would be no good, but I was sure she'd flip out if I told her my new 'boyfriend' had insisted on getting me a cell phone so he could contact me at any time. She would probably assume Leif was a controlling jerk, but the phone wasn't solely for the purpose of contacting him the way he put it. All the same, I worried Gran wouldn't see it that way.

"After you send back the resume and your checklist to me I'll forward you a copy of my rules. We'll meet again to discuss them and we can negotiate on certain points. We'll go over your limits and discuss safe words and the like, as well as what you can expect during play sessions so that you will be able to prepare yourself. We'll take things slowly, Scarlet. You're new to this, so I won't give you more than I think you can handle," he assured me.

I took a deep breath and said, "Okay."

A moment later I excused myself to use the restroom. I didn't really need to go, but being near Leif was overwhelming to me. If I hadn't had mascara on I would have splashed some water on my face. Instead I settled for more of those deep breaths that Leif had instructed me to take before we entered the dungeon. When I was calm again I went back to the table I'd left Leif sitting at.

"So, Scarlet, did I mention how fuckable you look in red?" Leif asked.

So much for getting myself calmed down.

* * *

**We're getting closer but there's still a lot of talking/negotiating to go before we get to all the really good stuff. Thanks for reading and for all of your kick ass reviews! I suck for not doing review replies but it just takes too damn long and I'm sure you'd rather me spend my time writing. Until the next chapter xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As much as I wanted to rush through filling out my resume and checklist so we could get to the negotiating portion of things, I told myself I needed to be patient and thoughtful. I needed to think things through and really consider my answers before filling them in. With the checklist I could change my mind at any time. Once I experienced something I might come to the conclusion that I didn't like it at all, or maybe I wanted to try it more often. It was questions about my religious beliefs, living situation and goals I had for my future that I was particularly careful with.

Before I started filling out the resume questionnaire I thought I knew myself pretty well, but then I started to stall on answering questions and I had to wonder if I had been correct. Leif had made it clear he insisted that I be completely honest with him, no matter how ugly the truth could be. There were absolutely things in my past that I wished I could change or erase, but that wasn't going to happen and like it or not, those things had helped to shape the person I'd become.

The hardest part was writing about my triggers. I knew Leif and I were going to have to discuss it in greater depth than what I had written on the resume, but I hopes that informing him that I had been sexually abused as a child would help him to understand why I had absolutely zero interest in a kidnapping and/or rape fantasy, and I was especially turned off by the idea of age play or a Daddy/little girl relationship. Leif seemed to be very focused on getting a solid grasp of me as a person, and he had explained that there was an intense psychological aspect that went into the sort of relationship I was considering getting into.

As promised, once I returned the checklist and resume to Leif he responded by giving me a sample of his standard rules for me to look over and consider. The items that were up for negotiation with him were italicized so I knew what we could discuss, and I was happy to see that he had standards and limits of his own that I would need to respect and comply with.

When you wake up you are to contact Me so that I know when you are awake.

_You are to send Me pictures of what you are planning to wear each day, including shoes and under-things (assuming I permit you to wear them)._

You will send Me a daily to-do list and the results in the evening. When you don't complete all of your tasks, you will be punished.

You are not allowed to discuss your tasks or punishments—by that I mean they are not up for negotiation. I order; you do. End of story.

You are not allowed to protest or be a brat. Failure to comply will result in punishment.

You will not use bad language.

You will ask for permission to orgasm. If you orgasm without permission (unless otherwise stated at the start of a session), you will be punished.

You will thank Me for each orgasm I permit you to have.

You are not allowed to touch yourself without asking Me for permission.

You will be shaved everywhere when we see each other, unless I specify otherwise prior to our session. I will punish you if I find a single hair.

You will not wear clothing when we are in bed together, unless otherwise stated by Me.

You will thank Me for the privilege of swallowing my cum.

You will speak openly about your feelings, fears, concerns, opinions, goals, problems outside of play, etc.

You will fulfill your daily tasks in a timely manner, or you will be punished.

You will start a workout routine with a trainer of My choosing (plans to follow).

I laughed when I saw that there was only one item on the list that was up for discussion, but at least I knew what he would expect of me in a general way. I was sure there would be more rules added to the list. In fact, I hoped that there was. The point of the relationship was for both of us to find mutual satisfaction, and I would find it best by serving him the way he wanted me to.

Some of the rules made me nervous, however. For instance, I had no idea whatsoever about how to stop myself from having an orgasm once I was on my way to it. I hoped that would be part of my training because otherwise I had a feeling I was going to break rule number seven pretty regularly. Leif had told me he wouldn't set standards he didn't think I could reach, but he would also push me to be better.

It would be easy to assume that having a relationship with a Dom meant all the Dom wanted was to punish their sub, but the more I read about it the more I realized that wasn't the case. Recognizing the differences between an abuser and a Dom was important. Leif had been very clear about the importance of safety and keeping open lines of communication during play. He promised he would check in with me frequently using a color system that would let him know how I was doing, but he had yet to go over the specifics of that with me.

I was learning a lot and it was helpful that Leif was so patient with me. He understood that I was a beginner, and in this arena he was my first. I had zero sub training which meant he was going to have to start with the basics, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, I got the feeling he was excited about the possibility of training me to please him, and I was willing to bet there was something particularly exciting about knowing he was the first to do it. He wouldn't have to undo the work of another Dom in order to get me to comply with his orders.

A full week passed before I heard from Leif again. I received an email from him asking me when I would be available to meet him so we could discuss the things in my resume, as well as the rules he'd provided for me. In that time I had a chance to do a little more research of my own and there were a few rules I was hoping he would be willing to add to the list that would go into my contract. Since my next night off wasn't until the following Sunday we made plans to meet that evening, and that time he asked me to come to The Playground.

I readily agreed and even though he didn't ask me to, I decided I would wear red. That meant I dipped into my meager savings to go buy a new dress for the occasion. I found a nice one with a neckline that was sexy without revealing too much. I knew I was going to have to give Leif my measurements and sizes, and that made me a bit nervous. I wasn't fat, or chubby even, but I wasn't Madame Raven's size either. Then again, I had no idea how she was able to breathe with her corsets cinched so tight all the time.

Oddly enough, corset training was something that was on my checklist and I had decided that was a no for me, at least for the time being. I wasn't opposed to wearing them now and then for play or because my Sir asked me to, but I didn't want to end up like a lot of the girls had in these parts two centuries ago with their waists permanently disfigured because of the corsets they were laced into everyday.

I also picked out some cute new lingerie since I was already dipping into my savings. I didn't know if I would need it, but it made me feel better to know I was coordinated properly. In all of my researching I'd come across quite a few articles about inspection, and how it wasn't uncommon for a Sir to inspect His property. Leif hadn't mentioned much about that yet, but I assumed that it would be on the list of things I could expect.

In the beginning I was expecting him to be tough on me. It would be necessary if he was going to help me remold the way I thought. I'd spoken with Bunny, Talon's sub, and she had explained to me that it was important not to lose myself in the process.

"A good Dom will help you become the best version of yourself, Scarlet, not remake you in the image He thinks you are," she'd told me, but at the moment I found it difficult to see the distinction between the two.

I thought I would take some initiative and I typed up a list of my own rules that I wanted imposed on me, or 'demands' I was curious to see if Leif would accept as part of our negotiation. I had zero expectation of him accepting any of the items I had listed, but I figured it couldn't hurt to bring something to the table. It was a negotiation, after all, and Leif had been the one to point out the importance of mutual satisfaction.

Use me sexually in a rough, selfish way when You feel like it, even if it means interrupting what I'm doing at the moment.

Ask me each night what I did that day You would not have approved of. This will get me in the habit of being completely honest, and also makes me conscious of the things I could do better each day.

Teach me exactly how You want me to kneel, stand and demand perfection.

Have me keep a diary of my journey into submission.

Conduct random inspections of my body to make sure I keep myself to Your specifications.

Give me reading assignments and test me on them to make sure I've learned my lessons.

Instruct me to keep my toenails perfectly painted everyday and check to see that they are before bed.

Make it my responsibility to put the toys away after play and punishment, and keep them clean and neat.

Call me Your slut, Your pet, etc. (I would prefer pet to slut.)

Defend my honor to those who would disrespect Your prized possession.

Teach me things… expand my knowledge… in a patient, fatherly way.

**Teach me patience.**

When You go out of town, forbid me to shave my sex. Shave me Yourself when You return.

Specify _exactly_ how I will address You in private and in public.

Before I left I printed up the list I had written for Leif and tucked it into my purse. I didn't know what he would think of it but I was about to find out. Like the week before I left the house and told Gran not to wait up for me. I had been impressed when she didn't ask too many questions about my coffee date. I hoped it didn't mean she had given up on me finding someone. I was only twenty-five, for crying out loud. I had plenty of time to find someone; although by comparison to the other girls I'd grown up with I was behind schedule.

Some of them already had a couple of kids or were on their second husband. In some ways it was hard not to feel inferior because of that. But then I thought about what their lives were like, and while it was true that some of them were happy with their lives I knew there were others that wished they had waited to become someone's wife or mother.

Tara was always telling me I didn't need to compare myself to anyone, that I should I do what made me happy. I supposed she was right, but it was difficult with Gran constantly making comments about one of her friends becoming a great grandmother, or seeing her knit a blanket or booties that weren't for Jason or me. I felt like I was disappointing her in some capacity.

Maybe in finding Leif my luck was changing. A girl could hope.

* * *

**So there you have a peek at what the rules are. I've been asked several times if we're going to see an EPOV in this or if this is all going to be from Sookie's POV. Because I find the mindset of a submissive much more complex than that of a dominate person, I'm sticking with the sub. This story is ultimately about Sookie's journey through this experience. At the end I might go back and write outtakes from Eric's POV just because I can, and because I've already written chapters where I've had the urge to write something from his perspective, but his side of things aren't the point of the story. This is about Sookie. He really is just an accessory in a lot of ways. **

**That said, I completely understand if this story isn't your cup of tea. As I said before, this kind of relationship isn't for everyone and I don't know that I could tow the line if I was in Sookie's place. In fact, this is probably the closest I'm ever going to get to being in a D/s relationship. So if this isn't for you, now would probably be the best time to pull out of this story before we get too deep into it. In my research I looked at the standard BDSM checklist and some of the things on there were just unimaginable to me. I found it difficult to understand how anyone could be turned on by it, but if it's on the list there must be plenty of people who are. I don't think I get too hardcore with anything, mostly because it's hard to write about if you haven't experienced it firsthand.  
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**I think that about covers it for now. Again, thank you so much for reading and for having such an awesome response to this subject. I really appreciate all of your reviews. Until the next chapter :)  
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	6. Chapter 6

**Before I forget (I just read the review so I want to address this in case anyone else was thinking the same thing), Caraway Seed made a great point about two things: 1. Eric's demand that Sookie shave herself bare. 2. That Sookie asked Eric to be patient with her in a fatherly type way.**

**Okay, so first, I don't really get the shaving thing either. I would refuse to do it, but that's just me. I can agree that I think there's something creepy about asking a woman to do that. If, as a woman, that's your preference then go on, gurl. Do yo' thang. I ain't here to tell you how to live so please don't send me hate mail about it, kay? Great. I can see how that might be a trigger issue for Sookie. Honestly, that didn't cross my mind at all when I wrote this. Perhaps I would feel differently about that if I was a victim of sexual abuse as a child. I don't wish to offend anyone who went through that, so I hope that if anyone who has is reading this piece that they don't find Eric's request offensive because Sookie doesn't.**

**Secondly, when Sookie asked Eric to be patient with her in a fatherly way that doesn't mean she's asking him to tuck her into bed at night and read her a story. All it means is that she needs him to be willing to explain things to her the way a father would to a child. She's new to this arena and lifestyle, and while she's done her research and all of that, there is obviously a lot left for her to learn. It's going to take time for her to get the hang of things, and because this relationship deals with themes of obedience and training, patience is a very important factor. Thankfully, Eric is a very patient person and doesn't expect her to just get it overnight but it's smart of her to include that request/demand because at least she's recognizing her own limitations at this point in time.**

**Hopefully that clears some things up for everyone. We good now? Awesome. On with the show!**

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**Chapter 6**

I pressed my thumb to the pad outside the hangar and waited for the door to open. When it did I stepped inside The Playground and was almost immediately greeted by Madame Raven.

"Welcome back, Scarlet," she said without a hint of fang. It had been almost two weeks since my first visit.

"Madame," I nodded respectfully.

"Leif is waiting for you upstairs in one of the private rooms. Go up the stairs to room number four. It will be the second door on the left," she advised.

"Thank you," I smiled at her and decided I would stop by the bar for a drink.

I didn't even need to tell the bartender what I wanted before he was putting a gin and tonic down in front of me.

"Good memory," I said.

"It's my job to serve," he said in a strange accent.

I smiled, picked up my drink and went up the stairs. As per usual, my nerves started to get the better of me, and when I reached the top of the stairs I paused to take a drink. If I was smarter I would have had one before leaving the house. I slowly walked down the hall to room number four, and knocked politely on the door.

"Enter!" Leif called from inside.

I opened the door and peeked inside so he would know it was me.

"Come in, Scarlet," he waved me in. "Take off your shoes when you enter."

I followed his instructions and took off my shoes. I set my drink and purse down on the small table near the door, and turned to point my shoes to the wall so they were lined up neatly. When I stood up again I reclaimed my drink but left my bag where it was.

"I like that you're on time," Leif said. He had a laptop with him along with a few manila folders and one red one.

"Thank you. I prefer it. Being tardy throws me off my schedule for the entire day," I explained and remained standing.

"Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable," he said casually, his eyes scanning up and down over the dress I was wearing. "Tell me about your day."

His request surprised me in a good way, but it made me keenly aware of how little I'd done with my day.

"Well, I went to the late service at church this morning since I got home late from work, but it was a nice service and Gran was thrilled I could go with her. After church was over we went home and Gran made brunch for me and my brother, Jason. We ate together and Jason regaled us with tales of drunkenness from last night. Then after Jason went home I helped Gran clean up the kitchen and took a nap. After my nap I started to get ready for our meeting tonight," I told him.

"Did you enjoy your day off?"

"I did. It was very much needed. I would have given anything for a back rub last night when I got home," I confessed.

"Do you plan to wait tables in the long term?"

"I hope not. For now, with the economy being what it is, I consider myself to be lucky I have a job at all."

Leif nodded and asked, "Have you applied elsewhere?"

"Not recently," I admitted.

"Your resume said that you have a bachelor's degree in English," he said. "What did you plan to do with that?"

"I've always thought maybe I would be a writer," I confessed with a slight blush. "I've always loved reading and expanding my vocabulary. In high school I was on my school's newspaper and I've been good about journaling since I was a little girl."

"What sort of things would you like to write?"

"Whatever inspires me at the moment, I guess. I haven't had much in the way of inspiration lately."

"Would you let me read what you write?"

"If you become my Sir," I smiled, and the corner of Leif's mouth lifted just a little.

"You've got spunk, Scarlet. I don't want you to lose that," he said.

"I won't."

"Good," he nodded. "So, have you looked over the rules I sent you?"

"I have. I have some concerns about a couple of them, but I'm going to trust what you said about not giving me more than I can handle."

"What are your concerns?" Leif asked gently.

"Rule number seven says that I'm not permitted to cum without permission. I don't know how to control an orgasm," I explained.

"We will work on that," he assured me. "Eventually, with enough training, you will have complete control over them so that you will be able to cum when I tell you to."

"You mean out of nowhere?" my eyes widened, and Leif nodded.

"It takes a great deal of training in order for you to master that, and I wouldn't expect you to master it in a matter of weeks. Realistic expectations are important, Scarlet. There is a learning process here. I can be patient, but can you?"

"I can," I nodded. "I just don't want to disappoint you."

Leif stood and crossed the room to stand over me. His right hand rose up and caressed my neck in that way of his that practically made me putty. I nuzzled into that touch. There was comfort there. It was something small but already it meant a great deal to me, and I had a feeling it would prove to be a great contrast to what his hands were capable of doing.

"Believe in yourself and trust in your abilities," he said. "And don't forget that you're not alone on this journey, Scarlet. I will be right there with you every step of the way."

I nodded again and wanted to turn my head to kiss the inside of his wrist, but wasn't sure that was allowed.

"Thank you, Leif," I smiled at him.

He released my neck and returned to his seat near the laptop. We talked a little more in depth about the rules he had sent me, and he explained why they were mostly nonnegotiable points. I understood and appreciated him taking time out to explain it to me. I produced the list I'd come up with and presented it to him.

"I did some more reading and research, and I thought maybe these things could be considered as well," I said as he read over my list.

A small smile took hold of his lips and he said, "You are the first girl I have trained who has asked for more rules."

"I want you to know that I take this seriously," I said as I sat down again. "And I also want to have a strong set of guidelines to follow."

"That's reasonable," Leif nodded. "I'll take a closer look at these later on and add what I'm comfortable adding to your contract. What I don't we can discuss again when you get further into your training."

"That's fair."

"Your checklist indicates that you have a slight interest in public humiliation or punishment," Leif said, changing the subject. "That's also something we can get into once we're further into your training. For the time being I think it would be best if we did your training privately. I don't want to push you too hard too fast."

"I'm okay with that."

Quite honestly I was worried enough about pleasing Leif without worrying that better trained subs or more experienced Doms would think I was a waste of time.

"I would, however, like for you to come down to the dungeon with me tonight," he said. My eyes went wide and he continued, "Not to play. I've arranged with another Dom for a live show."

A show?

"I want you to see that there is nothing to be afraid of," Leif told me. "And I think if you can see how other subs are trained, you will have a better sense of my expectations. Plus, you may see some things you want to try."

The idea of seeing a live sample of what was in store for me was both exciting and nerve wracking. I supposed it made sense for me to witness it firsthand, and it would also give me a goal of where Leif might want me to get to at some point. Seeing it with my own two eyes would give me an idea of whether or not I thought I could get there to that point.

"How do you feel about that?" Leif asked, breaking into my thoughts.

"Well I uh… I wasn't expecting this," I admitted, and he smiled a little bit.

"Good. It's part of my job to keep you on your toes, to keep you emotionally off balance when it comes to your training," he said. "But, we will do this together. I will be right there beside you. You won't face it alone."

I nodded, and it started to dawn on me that as much as this would be a journey I'd take on my own, it was also a team sport, of sorts. It also came to mind that maybe my realization was the whole point of going to watch another Dom and sub.

"We should head down," Leif said, and stood up.

My heart leapt into my throat, but I stood as well. Leif opened the door for me and gestured for me to go ahead of him.

"You can leave your purse here, but I would take your shoes," he said when I started to walk out of the room without them.

"Oh, right," I laughed nervously, and turned back to slip my shoes on. "Sorry, I'm…"

"Overwhelmed?" he supplied for me.

"Exactly," I smiled up at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything. You don't need to ask permission for that when we're not in Dom/sub mode."

That was good to know.

"Were you nervous when you first got started in all of this?" I asked as we left the room.

Leif locked the door behind us, ensuring that my bag and his laptop were perfectly secure. He offered me his arm, which I was more than happy to take.

"The role I have is one that came naturally to me," he started as we walked toward the stairs. "As I've said there is a learning curve that comes along with living this sort of lifestyle, and that goes for Doms as well as subs. I had my own set of challenges to master in order to become a better Dominant for my pets. I have also made the mistake to selecting the wrong pet in the past, but I have learned the importance of patience and selecting the right match for me."

"So you think I'm the right match for you?"

We stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and much to my surprise Leif lifted my chin so I had to look up at him. His fingers remained under my chin as he leaned down and kissed me softly on the mouth. It was sweet and reassuring, and I wanted more but didn't dare move. Once again I got the feeling I was being shown one side of him, but knew there was definitely something darker or more aggressive under the surface that I would get to experience soon enough.

Leif broke the kiss and sweetly kissed my forehead before standing up straight. His fingers under my chin moved so he was back to caressing my neck, and I leaned into that touch as much as I could. It was incredibly settling for me and he seemed to know that.

"I think you are a wonderful match for me," he said with confidence that helped to settle my nerves.

I told myself I was going to start putting my trust in him. I was going to follow his lead and I was going to do what I could to make him proud of me. I didn't know why I felt that kind of need or even attachment to him. I really didn't know anything about him, but still there was something bigger than both of us drawing me to him. My arm looped through his and together we walked toward the dungeon.

I caught a glimpse of Madame Raven as we passed by the desk in the lobby where she checked in the incoming members. There was something about the way she looked at me that made me wonder if maybe she was jealous. I was still curious about why she was no longer being trained by Leif, but I was going to have to keep my curiosity to myself for a while longer. Leif led me down the long corridor to the dungeon all the way at the far end.

"Are you ready?" he asked when we reached the door.

"As I'll ever be," I nodded.

"Then here we go," he said, and pushed the door open for me.

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**Next chapter we'll get to see the show... and what happens after that. Brace yourselves. Also I wrote up a post on tumblr last night with answers to FAQs that I've been getting for this story. I linked that post in my profile here so if you have a question about this story you might not be the only one who's asked it and I may have answered it there for you. Just to reiterate, because I don't think enough people paid attention to the author's note way back in chapter 2, _SOOKIE IS NOT A TELEPATH_. Hopefully I don't have to answer that question again lol.**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**.::WARNING::. **

**This chapter contains acts of naughtiness and BDSM related explicit material. If it squicks you to read that, this is not the chapter for you. In fact, this isn't the story for you. **

**You've been warned.  
**

Oh, and there are two very specific beggars you have to thank for getting this chapter tonight. To , I am happy to hear that you safely made it through Hurricane Sandy and I hope that you get your power back soon and hopefully this chapter will entertain you for at least a little while.**  
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**Chapter 7**

The dungeon had been rearranged almost entirely for the demonstration I was about to witness. Folding chairs had been brought in and arranged in a half moon shape four rows deep. Already almost half of the seats were spoken for, and it was then that I realized I wasn't dressed in all black. I had a moment of panic and looked up to Leif. I tugged on his arm a little and he looked down at me.

I pushed up on my toes and whispered, "I'm not wearing black."

He took his arm from me and smoothly slipped out of his suit jacket to offer it to me. I slipped my arms into the sleeves and when he closed it in front of me I was draped in black.

"Problem solved," he winked at me.

His simple solution made me smile and before I could stop myself I leaned in and kissed his cheek for his kindness.

"Thank you," I whispered, and he rewarded me with a small smile.

"Come, let me introduce you around," he said, reaching for my hand.

Leif led me to a cluster of people who were standing together, talking quietly and they all seemed to know each other. He introduced me to them one by one, and the way their eyes kept going back and forth between Leif and me I was sure they knew who I was to him. I was the new kid on the block, but Leif had obviously been involved with the club for a while if he was giving tours and knew everyone. The people I met were friendly, all of them welcoming to me into the fold and asking me questions about my experience level.

"This is all new to me," I told them.

"I remember my first Dom," a woman that introduced herself as Ophelia (which was quite a dramatic choice of aliases for my taste) said with a nostalgic smile. "I was nineteen and he just swept me off my feet. I haven't looked back since."

"Are you still together?" I asked her.

"No," she said with a hint of sadness. "We were together for three years before we decided it was time to part ways, but he was a wonderful Dom. We see one another now and then at conferences, but he's married to someone else and so am I."

"Oh, well good for you," I smiled.

I wanted to ask if it was difficult to think about her first Dom being with someone else, but I supposed it was no different than breaking up with your first serious boyfriend. There were memories and good times from every relationship once you got enough distance from the breakup to appreciate the time you were with someone. I wasn't at the point yet where I could really be totally appreciative of my ex, but I hoped to reach that stage sometime in the future.

Mostly I stood there listening to the conversation going on around me. My eyes swept over the way things were set up and I noticed the collection of toys that were sitting on a table where the demonstration was going to take place. When it was time to take our seats the lights dimmed a little like they would at the end of an intermission at the theater, and Leif led me back to our seats. I was glad we weren't sitting front and center since I wasn't prepared to be thrust into the spotlight quite yet.

His hand didn't leave mine when we sat, and I was appreciative of it. Another round of goose bumps went off when his thumb found the pulse point on my wrist and started to stroke it gently. Inside I was doing an almost spastic happy dance, but I tried to keep my features schooled the way he would. It didn't work, but I tried.

The lights went out entirely once we were all seated and my eyes didn't get the chance to adjust to the darkness before they came on again to reveal that Bunny was kneeling on the floor, completely nude, with her arms bound behind her back. I hadn't even heard her come into the room.

"Hello, Scarlet," Talon whispered in my ear and I jumped.

He chuckled while Leif squeezed my hand reassuringly, and then Talon went to go join his sub at the front of the room. Bunny hadn't mentioned anything about this to me in the talks we'd had so I wondered if she had been ordered not to tell me, or if maybe this was as big of a surprise to her as it was to me. My hand stayed joined with Leif's as the scene began in front of us.

It was strange to watch two people be so intimate with each other in a room full of people. I watched as Talon used various toys I didn't know the names of, but Leif would whisper in my ear to me, to get Bunny almost to the point of an orgasm. She would beg him to let her cum, but she was denied. She tried to hold it, to force herself back, but ultimately was unable to do so. The pleasure stopped and Talon set aside the toy he had been using to stimulate her to pick up a flogger.

My heart beat even faster and I forced myself to keep watching as he flogged her inner thighs and stomach. Not too hard, but hard enough, I was sure, to be a little painful. I remembered reading something about how pain and pleasure when used in the right combinations, influenced one another so the feelings were heightened. That way it didn't take much force for pain to feel much more extreme than it really was. What might usually just feel like an ordinary slap on the ass might feel much worse than it actually was.

I was fascinated by the concept, and it hit me that I would have personal understanding of it soon enough. What I was even more taken by, as the scene progressed, was how turned-on I was by the things I was seeing. It got so I was almost squirming in my seat, and not because I was uncomfortable with what I was witnessing, but because I wanted it. I was excited about the premise of getting to that point, and that caused a whole new set of feelings to start warring within me.

I was back to hearing those two voices in my head, one of them desperate for me to get Leif alone so we could just sign the damn contract and get started already, and the other was questioning my mental health for thinking this was a good idea. Getting those two voices to somehow meld and become one harmonious voice was the trick. I needed to get past the mental roadblock being thrown up that told me my interests and curiosities were wrong.

There were breaks in the scene to allow for changes of position and adjusting the way Bunny was bound. It was during one those breaks that Leif leaned into me and whispered, "Is this making you wet, Scarlet?"

My cheeks flamed immediately and I couldn't find my voice so I just nodded. For the first time Leif let go of my hand—which was a little sweaty—and pushed my knees apart. My instincts told me to stop him from doing what he was doing.

"Trust me," he whispered in my ear, and kissed it softly.

Despite how fast my heart was beating and how close I was to being overloaded I let him proceed. His fingers moved slowly up my inner thigh, and I buried my face in his shoulder when he got to my panties. He rubbed gently until I started to squirm, but before I could really get off on what he was doing, he pulled his hand away. I didn't know if I felt more relieved or frustrated by his actions, but when I looked up into his eyes after his hand took mine again, there was heat there that I hadn't seen before.

The scene resumed with Bunny and Talon, and Leif explained that they were working on her subspace training. Bunny counting along with her spanking, and for each set of ten that she successfully called out without stumbling or forgetting, Talon would reward her with his fingers in one way or another. He would take her almost to the point of orgasm, and then he would resume her spanking. It was a good thing Bunny was counting because even though I tried to count along with her I got transfixed by what I was witnessing.

The sex that followed was rough, but it allowed Bunny to have as many orgasms as she wanted and by the time they were finished I was damn near close to having an orgasm myself. I could honestly say I had never been so turned-on in my entire life, and judging by the way Leif was looking at me I was sure he knew it. I was completely fascinated by the entire process, and if the point of the two of us watching together was for me to be sure that I wanted to experience it for myself, I had gotten the point.

Talon untied the ropes that had been binding Bunny to the bench she was face down on, and he gently rubbed feeling back into her arms and legs. He was sweet and tender with her, gently stroking her face to keep her hair out of her eyes, and offering her little kisses of reassurance that he was proud of her, that she had done well. She looked at him with complete love and trust in her eyes, and I envied what they shared.

_I wanted that._ Whether it was right or wrong, it was what I wanted. That little voice telling me to seek psychiatric help was no longer welcome in my head.

"Should we speak to them?" I asked Leif when we stood.

"No. We'll speak with them later," he said, and led me to the door.

The other guests in the room followed us out. Leif led me down the corridor again, and back to the stairs so we could go up to our private room. He pulled the keys from his pocket to unlock the door for me, and when the door was open he gestured for me to go ahead of him. He was well mannered, which was something Gran had raised me to appreciate. She was big on manners, politeness and etiquette.

So of course the second the door was closed Leif decided to throw me off balance again, and he pressed me against the wall. He captured my hands and held them over my head in one of his, and his leg nudged my knees apart. My breath caught as our eyes met and there was hardly any time to wonder what he was up to before his hand was in my panties.

"Leif," I gasped, and my eyes closed.

"Eyes open, Scarlet," he said roughly. "Eye contact is something you will get used to. When you are on your knees, servicing my cock, you will look into my eyes or you will be punished."

I nodded my agreement and committed that rule to memory as his fingers worked against my clit like he'd done it a million times before.

"You enjoyed the scene in the dungeon very much."

"Yes," I agreed.

"What part did you like the most, and don't lie to me," he said as one of his long fingers slipped inside me.

I moaned loudly and resisted the urge to look away from his eyes. They were so intense that it was hard to keep focused on them. It felt like he was seeing my soul and every secret I held, and I wasn't used to someone wanting to be that close to me. Would he always be that intense, or was I just feeling the way I was because he was new to me and we weren't used to each other?

"Tell me, Scarlet," he insisted, and his palm rubbed against my clit.

"Ungh," I groaned and tried to get words to form. All I thought about was his hand and what it was doing to me, and the fact that I didn't know him. This was so unlike me. I didn't even know Leif's real name, only the alias he had given himself, and I was dangerously close to having an orgasm up against the wall in a secret sex club.

Sookie Stackhouse, you're not in Kansas anymore.

"Tell me, or I'll stop," he threatened.

My favorite part… what was my favorite part? I liked all of it, but what was it that really got me going? What was it that I had seen that would replay itself in my mind when I crawled into bed later? I needed to close my eyes to picture it but I was afraid to do it. Leif's hand slowed down when I hesitated to answer him.

"The spanking," I admitted, and I was thankful I was already flushed from what Leif was doing to me or my cheeks would have burned with the immediate rush of blood coming to them.

Leif growled a little and rewarded me for my honesty by slipping a second finger into me. I gasped and my hips moved away from the wall in attempts to get more friction where I needed it.

"Don't be greedy, Scarlet," he spoke softly but firmly into my ear. "What did you like about watching her get spanked? Did it make you want it?"

I nodded and squeaked out a yes. I bit my lip, knowing he was on track to make me cum soon. It wasn't going to take much more stimulation from him to make that happen.

"What else did you like? What made you this wet?"

The words weren't coming to me. My attention was too focused on what his fingers were doing for me to think straight, and I wondered if this was some sort of test but I didn't really get the chance to think about it because the pleasure suddenly exploded. My knees started to shake and I held still while he stroked me through the orgasm. I had to remind myself to breathe and I couldn't remember a time when I had cum that hard just from being touched like that.

Leif kissed my neck and slowly withdrew his fingers from my panties. He released my hands and held my chin so I would have to keep eye contact with him.

"Tell me, Scarlet, tell me what you liked about it," he implored.

It took me a few seconds to summon the brain power to put my thoughts into words that would make sense instead of the gibberish that was threatening to come out.

"Talon took care of her," I started. "Bunny did what she was supposed to do by counting and keeping up with Talon, and he rewarded her for it."

"What else? Be completely honest. I know there's more."

It was uncomfortable to say it out loud but I had a sneaking suspicion that Leif already knew, or he wouldn't be negotiating a contract with me.

"It made me… I wanted to know what it feels like," I confessed, even though I was stumbling over the words. "In my head I tried to imagine being her."

"And you liked what you imagined?"

"Yes."

Leif touched my neck in that gentle way of his and kissed my forehead.

"Thank you, Scarlet."

"For what?" I asked as he stepped back.

"For trusting me to take care of you. I'll have a draft of the contract ready by sunrise. We'll meet on your next day off to go over it, and make edits. If everything is satisfactory to us both we'll sign it and set up our first session," he said.

I nodded because words were still playing keep away with my vocal cords. I straightened up my clothes and hoped I would stop shaking. Once again I was on overload, but I had trusted Leif like he asked me to. I had pleased him, and it gave me a satisfaction much greater than any orgasm.

Maybe Talon was right—maybe I was a natural submissive after all. Maybe this was exactly what had been missing from my life.

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**Right. So... there you go. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I flopped on my bed and started to read over the contract that Leif had sent me. There were spaces for me to fill in my real name, which I knew I was going to have to give him anyway. I was actually excited about giving him my real name. Even though I didn't know if I needed to, I wrote in Sookie Stackhouse wherever it was supposed to go. I smiled when I saw Leif's real name; it was Eric Northman.

I was so used to calling him Leif at that point that I wasn't sure how I felt about calling him Eric. I supposed, most of the time, I would probably be calling him Sir, but when we were out in public together with straight friends or people who weren't involved in 'The Life,' as everyone around the club called it, I was going to have to address him differently. He had yet to tell me how I would address him, but we would figure that out when we signed the contract.

Never in a million years would I have thought becoming someone's pet would require so much conversation and negotiating. There were so many things to consider, and questions that needed to be asked in order for things to go smoothly. There were terms to agree on and ground rules to be laid down between us, and through it all we had to be completely honest with each other. I couldn't hold back because I was worried about hurting his feelings or disappointing him because if I did that I would ultimately only be hurting myself, and I was starting to understand that by hurting myself I would be hurting him, too. It was so complicated, and a completely different way of thinking than what I was used to.

I was elated to see that Leif/Eric had included some of the rules I had suggested on Sunday night, and I was excited to see, at the very end, a vow of sorts that he had written in for me of what he promised to do for me as my Dom as long as I kept my end of the bargain as his sub. What I needed to remember is that while I was supposed to strive for perfection, it wasn't possible for me to attain it. I would make mistakes, break rules and sometimes disappoint my Sir, but the important thing was that I learned from those things and I kept trying to be better.

In his promise to me, Eric (I needed to get used to calling him that) promised that he would teach me, help me explore and be patient with me. I was going to need all of those things, and I was thankful he recognized it. So far my experience was shaping up to be a positive one. Without even really looking for it the right person had been put in my path. I believed Eric was right when he said that I was a good match for him.

So far my lack of education and insecurity had kept me quiet and rather docile, but the girl with sass that he had seen on occasion was just under the surface. No doubt there would be times when I would rebel and directly violate the rule about being bratty. In straight life I would probably just be seen as being a little more stubborn than the average person, but my attitude would take on an entirely different connotation when I was with Eric. To him I would be seen as a brat, and someone who needed to be corrected and reminded of her place.

There was a part of me that got a naughty little thrill out of the idea of being punished. Of course that was because I had yet to experience one of Eric's punishments. We were going to need to discuss what punishments were possible, although it would be up to Eric to decide them. The obvious punishment I assumed I would get for breaking the rules was a spanking. With what implement would be his choice, obviously. All of my reading had told me that punishment spankings were more likely to be done with something I didn't enjoy, but since I was so new to all of this I didn't yet know what I liked and what I didn't.

Eric was very good at studying me, however, and I was certain he would figure out very quickly what would work and what wouldn't. I also felt sure that he would explain things to me along the way. The contract, as I saw it, seemed good. He had drawn it up to include all of hard limits I had set so I knew for absolutely certain there were lines he would not cross.

I wasn't willing to get into: abrasion, age play, large anal plugs, animal roles, being auctioned for charity, ball stretching (that didn't sound like fun for _anyone_), bathroom use control, beastiality, hard beating, breast/chest bondage, branding, boot worship, heavy bondage, multi-day bondage, breast whipping, brown/golden showers, castration fantasies, catheterization, cattle prods, being locked in cells or closets, chamber pot use, cutting, diapers (wearing, wetting OR soiling), dilation, enemas for punishment purposes, rape fantasy, gang rape fantasy, fisting of any kind, flame play, foot worship (it just squicked me out too much), forced bedwetting, forced eating, forced homosexuality, forced heterosexuality, forced smoking, full head hoods, tape gags, gas masks, being given away to another Dom for any period of time, gun play, harems, high heel worship, hoods, hot oils on genitals, human puppy dog, infantilism, injections, kidnapping, knife play, medical scenes, mummification, having my nipples pierced, severe pain, personal modification, serving Dom's friends with phone sex, commercial phone sex, piercing in any capacity, plastic surgery, prostitution (in a scene or actual), pony slave, rubber/latex clothing, rope body harness, saran wrap, scarification, getting/receiving scratches, serving as art, serving as an ashtray, serving as furniture, serving as a toilet, serving other Doms (supervised OR unsupervised), shaving my head, sleep deprivation, sleep sacks, speculums (vaginal or anal), stocks, straight jackets, strapping (full body beating), inverted suspension, supplying new partners for Dom, swallowing feces, swallowing urine, tampon training (in ass), thumb cuffs, urethral sounds, water torture, weight gain or weight loss.

It was a long list and I knew there was the possibility I might change my mind about some of those things as my views changed and I felt freer to explore but there were some things that nearly caused me a panic attack just to think about them. For instance, when I thought about combining age play and a rape fantasy? Dear God… I got the shakes and it was hard to breathe. Bad, bad triggers.

Eric and I hadn't yet discussed the abuse I had endured as a child, but I knew that talk was coming. In some ways I wished we would just get it over with already. It was an uncomfortable conversation to have, and there was a part of me that was sick over the knowledge that Uncle Bartlett had essentially gotten away with what he'd done to me. His 'punishment' had been Gran running him off and cutting off all contact with him. She had opted not to call the police as a way of sparing me the interrogations and the embarrassment that would come with a trial.

If we went to court it meant that Uncle Bartlett would have the ability to confront me directly as his accuser, and all I wanted was for him to go away. I just wanted to forget what had happened to me. It didn't work that way, of course, but as a child denial seemed like a much better way to go than facing what I had been through. Gran had taken me to see a counselor and I worked out most of my demons, but there were still certain things that got to me. I hated to hear stories on the news about other children that were subjected to that kind of abuse.

It made me absolutely sick that Uncle Bartlett was somewhere, not too far away, living his life as if he hadn't done anything to me. He had stolen a part of my childhood from me, and because of him I had a hard time trusting boys. I didn't lose my virginity until I was in college, and even then only after I had been dating my ex for more than a year. Trusting men, in general, was a difficult thing for me. Sometimes I suspected Jason knew what had happened to me even though Gran and I had never told him about it.

Jason and Uncle Bartlett were close when we were kids. Uncle Bartlett never touched my brother the way he touched me, after all. In some sick way I was thankful that I hadn't been raped. The touching was bad enough. But we didn't tell Jason because Gran thought it was better not to. Sometimes I got angry about it, like maybe Gran was trying to cover up for her brother out of shame that she hadn't known what was going on under her own roof. Other times I believed that she was just doing what she thought was right to protect both of us kids.

When I was finished going over the contract I sent Eric an email to tell him that I'd read through the first draft and unless there were things he wanted to edit, I was satisfied with what he'd drawn up for us. Barring any changes, I was ready to sign the contract.

I was ready for Eric to be my Sir.

On my day off I slept in relatively late. When I got downstairs Gran was already gone to meet her garden club. There was a package for me on the kitchen table that had come via Federal Express, which I found odd since I hadn't ordered anything off of the internet. I looked at the shipping label for clues, and gasped when I saw the name of a cell phone provider on the return address.

Eric had sent me a phone.

I got the box open and pulled a shiny new iPhone from the box, along with a note written by hand.

_Dearest Pet,_

_Here is the phone I promised you. Your plan is added to My own and includes unlimited talk time, data and text messages. My number is already programmed into the phone for you so that you can contact Me. The pin number for your phone is 7187. If you need help learning how to use the phone we'll go over that when I see you later. In meantime, enjoy your new toy as much as I look forward to enjoying Mine._

_Sincerely,_

_Sir_

The submissive in me squealed at him addressing me as his pet before the contract was even signed. Knowing he was serious about training me made me feel better. There was still a part of me that worried I would just be a huge disappointment to Eric. He had trained other girls before and I… I had to look up what 'scat play' is.

Using my birthday for the pin number on the phone was a smart move on his part since it would be easy for me to remember until I figured out how to change it to a different combination of numbers. I turned the phone on and smiled when the screensaver on the phone was a movie poster from _Gone with the Wind_ that featured Scarlet and Rhett in a dramatic, romantic pose. In my resume I'd told him that _Gone with the Wind_ was one of my favorite books and movies, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if he had figured out where my alias had come from.

I entered the pin number and figured it was only right that my first phone call should be to Eric. His number was the only one in my contacts, so I it was easy enough to find him. The phone dialed and began to ring, but Eric didn't pick up. I got his voicemail instead.

"Good morning, Sir," I said, figuring it couldn't hurt to address him the same way he did me. "Thank you very much for the phone. I'll try to figure it out myself this morning. I'm excited to see you later. I hope you're having a very good day. Thank you again."

I hung up the phone immediately instead of replaying my message. If I did that I would just obsess over the wording or my tone of voice and I didn't want it to sound too rehearsed or phony in its delivery. While I played around with the phone and started adding contacts to it, I whipped up a small breakfast for myself and sat down at the table to eat. My first text message was to Tara, letting her know that Leif had gotten me a phone.

Rather than texting me back, she called me.

"Girl, did you sign the contract already?" she asked in lieu of saying hello when I answered.

"Not yet. I think I'll be signing it tonight unless there are changes he wants to make," I told her.

"That didn't take long." I couldn't tell if she was impressed or concerned.

"What, Tara?" I wanted to know how she felt.

"You're sure you're comfortable with him, that you don't want to shop around a little more? I just don't want you to regret this," she said.

"Tara, it's a contract that protects both of our boundaries and gives us the freedom to walk away from the arrangement at any time. It's not like I'm marrying him."

"I know that," she said defensively. "It's just… I've done my own reading on this lifestyle, Sookie, and it just doesn't sound like you. I can't imagine the girl I know letting a man silence her with a look."

"It's not like that all the time, Tara. I still get to have my thoughts and feelings. Being a sub doesn't mean that I'm a robot or that I don't get a say in things. We have normal conversations and talk about ordinary things," I told her. Well, so far we hadn't, but that was because we were doing the negotiations, but I fully intended on making sure the dating portion of the relationship happened as well.

"So you're not going into this twenty-four-seven? This is just going to be restricted to weekends?" she asked incredulously.

I sighed and said, "Maybe at some point we'll go that way, but for right now it isn't exactly feasible. I have my weird hours I keep because of work, and I'm not sure what Er— Leif does during the day. The point is that even if we _did_ upgrade to living a twenty-four-seven lifestyle together it's not like I'd be chained up in the dungeon until he decided to take me down off the harness."

Tara laughed, much to my surprise, and said, "I can't wait until Gran finds out about this."

"Why would she?" I retorted. "Gran doesn't need to know a damn thing about my sexual practices or habits, Tara. What I do in the bedroom isn't anyone's business, least of all Gran's. If she asks how we met I will tell her that I was introduced through a friend and leave it at that. Besides, we're not supposed to talk about The Playground to anyone that we're not considering extending an invitation to, and I sure as hell am not considering inviting my grandmother."

"Geez, Sook, calm down," Tara said. "See what I mean? You think you're not going to get in trouble if you get mouthy with Leif like that during a session?"

She had a point.

"But it's different when we're in a session. _I'm_ different."

"So you've had a session?" she asked. "How'd that go?"

"Well, we haven't had a session yet, exactly, but I know I'll be different," I insisted.

"Uh huh," she didn't sound like she had much faith in me.

I didn't know if I should be annoyed or agree with her. Frankly, I was worried about that myself.

"Sook, you've got a temper on you—always have. It's one of the best things about you. You don't let anyone push you around. That's why it's hard to imagine you being so gungho about all of this, that's all," Tara explained.

I sighed and said, "It's just different. Yes, of course it's real life when I'm with Eric but… like, okay, do you tell people that you and Eggs get off on swapping partners on Saturday night?"

"Of course not," Tara said quickly and in a hushed tone.

"And why not? Is it because you're embarrassed of it, or because you only do it to please him, or because it's no one else's business what you do with your sex life?"

"There are a lot of reasons," she answered. "But I don't have to give up who I am on the street in order for us to have fun."

"But you do! Tara, you're not the same person either when you're at The Playground. You're Sindee while you're there, right? Well, when I'm with him, in a scene, I'm Scarlet. Eventually there's the likelihood that Scarlet and Sookie may become one and the same but for now…" I trailed off.

"I just don't want you to lose yourself, Sook," she said with genuine concern.

"I won't," I promised her. "Trust me, the last thing Leif wants is to squelch what makes me who I am. He wants to help me become a better version of myself."

"I hope that's true. I just want you to be happy."

"I know you do, and I appreciate your concern. It's good to know I'll have someone keeping an eye out for me that I know I can trust."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "I love you, too."

"I have to go. I need to start getting ready for tonight. I'll call you tomorrow," I promised.

"You better," she said. "Oh, and Sook?"

"Yeah?"

"Try and find out if Leif's working with a pond prowler or a longboat," she said, and I burst out laughing. "I've always wondered about that."

* * *

**Yay now Sookie knows Eric's real name. I know some of you were wondering about that. It was weird for me to switch over to Eric since I was so used to calling him Leif every three seconds. And now every time I think of Leif I just hear kjwrit giggling in my head over her Leif-blower pun. She's just perfect sometimes. **

**REMINDER: There is an FAQ link on my profile page for common questions so if you have one check that out. I may have already answered it for you there.  
**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**The point was made in reviews yesterday that Sookie slipped when she was on the phone with Tara and called Eric by his real name. I think because they're friends outside of the club it isn't an issue. It's not like Sookie's divulging something huge, and it's just a first name. As first names go, Eric is pretty generic. As long as Tara doesn't going around The Playground calling him something other than Leif, I think everything's cool. No worries, guys.**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

As I was getting out of the shower I heard my new phone make a noise, and since I was sure it wasn't Tara again it had to be Eric. I hurriedly wrapped a towel around my body and ran back to my bedroom to see what he had sent me. Hours had passed since I first called him, but there was a text message waiting for me when I picked up the phone.

**You're very welcome. Meet me at my house tonight.**

**7896 W. Magnolia Lane, Shreveport**

** 7:00 PM **

**Further instructions to follow via email.**

I sent a text back acknowledging his instructions, and then waited for the email to come in while I finished drying off. The doorbell rang and I slipped on a robe to go downstairs and answer the door. My phone made another noise in my pocket just as I was getting to the bottom of the stairs. For the moment I ignored what I assumed was Eric's email, and opened the door.

A redheaded man I'd never seen before was standing there with a beautifully wrapped package in his hands, and there was a shopping bag hanging from his arm. Without even asking I knew those things were from Eric. I was going to need to get used to him sending me things, I gathered.

"May I help you?" I asked.

"I'm looking for Sookie Stackhouse," the man said and I gasped.

How did Eric already know my name? Then I realized that my real name was all over my records at The Playground, and he probably had access to that information if he was an employee of the club like I suspected he was. I recovered quickly from my little shock since I didn't know who this strange man was standing in front of me.

"I am she," I smiled politely.

"I'm Bobby Burnham, Mr. Northman's personal assistant. I've been tasked with delivering these items to you," he said, and presented me first with the box and then with the bag. "If there is nothing you require, I'll be on my way."

"No, thank you. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Burnham," I said. I barely got the words out before Bobby was turning around and leaving.

He was brusque, but I assumed it was because he was probably busy. Bon Temps wasn't exactly right down the road if he had come all the way from Shreveport just to deliver the packages to me. I closed the door and took my presents upstairs to my bedroom to open them.

But first, I pulled the phone from my pocket and read the email Eric had sent me. In it he requested that I wear the contents of the package he had sent to me, and explained that from that point on whenever we met he expected that I wouldn't wear a bra or panties unless he instructed me to. The sensible southern girl in me prickled at leaving the house without my underthings, but if worse came to worse, I could always take them off before getting to our agreed upon meeting place.

It was times like these that living with Gran could potentially be a problem. If I left the house without a bra on she was going to notice.

I started with the box, and untied the black satin bow that was wrapped around it. I set the ribbon aside and started to neatly remove the thick, crimson paper. I set the paper off to the side as well, and then lifted the lid on the box. Once the tissue paper was peeled back I stopped and stared at my present. Inside the box was a beautiful red dress that I never would have picked out for myself, and was precisely my size. How Eric knew I had no idea, but it was perfect. Even more impressive were the high heels that were also tucked into the box.

They were black and I knew by the red soles that they were expensive. Never, in my wildest dreams, would I ever thought I'd own a pair of Louboutin pumps. Not only were they insanely out of my price range, but I was the kind of girl who shopped at WalMart more often than not. I had splurged the other day when I had purchased that new dress from DKNY and the underwear from Victoria's Secret. It would take me a year to save up for just the shoes that Eric had given me.

I made the mistake of looking at the label on the dress and my jaw dropped. Herve Leger—that was a name I usually only heard when I was watching red carpet stuff before the Oscars. Small town girls like me didn't wear designer labels like those on a daily basis. Not just because we couldn't afford to, but because with the way I had been raised it seemed wasteful. The dress, while beautiful, didn't seem like it was worth anything more than a lot of the clothes I already owned.

What Eric had paid so much money for wasn't the dress itself, but for the label that was sewn into it.

I moved on to the bag and pulled out two small, black velvet boxes. The first contained a pair sparkly ruby earrings that matched the dress and the second contained a necklace with a ruby pendant. I didn't even want to try to figure out how much money Eric had spent on just that one outfit (nevermind the phone), and I was sure there were many more of them coming my way.

I painted my nails to match my dress and then went to the bathroom to put on my makeup and fix my hair. By the time I was ready to put the dress on Gran was coming home to get dinner started. I knew she was going to ask where the dress, shoes and jewelry had come from. I hadn't rehearsed what I was going to tell her, but I was going to have to tell her something. I was an adult, so I didn't really need to explain myself to her, but I didn't feel comfortable sneaking around and lying to her.

All the same, I finished getting dressed and went downstairs to tell her I was leaving. When I got to the bottom of the steps I took a few of those deep breaths Eric had taught me to take to calm myself, and then continued on to the kitchen. Gran was peeling potatoes at the sink, and stopped what she was doing when I entered the room.

"Sookie, my goodness…" Gran stared at me with wide, surprised eyes. "You look…"

If she said slutty, whorish or like a streetwalker I was going to die of embarrassment right then and there.

"Lovely," she said with a smile. "New dress?"

"Yes," I said nervously. "I uh, I'm meeting my gentleman friend again tonight."

"Oh," Gran's smile grew. "Is it getting serious between you two?"

_In a manner of speaking…_

"Not quite yet, Gran, but if it does you'll be the first to know," I promised her.

"Well, I won't wait up for you tonight," she said, and returned to peeling her potatoes.

I was getting off the hook _way_ too easy.

"There's something else I need to tell you."

"Okay," Gran said without stopping what she was doing.

"I uh, I got a cell phone," I told her.

"You did? Well write down the number for me on the bulletin board," she said.

Again, she was being so casual and asking far too few questions for my taste and I knew it was going to come back to bite me in the ass eventually.

"I will," I promised, and crossed the room to do as she asked.

When that was done I fidgeted nervously for a few seconds, debating over whether or not I should say anything else. I remembered that old adage about letting sleeping dogs lie. For the moment there really wasn't anything I was comfortable sharing with Gran, and until Eric and I had established ourselves as something more than a Dom and a sub, I figured it was best I just kept my mouth shut. Otherwise she would be insisting he come for supper on some Sunday afternoon in the very near future, and it would be awkward since I didn't even know what he did for a living.

I really needed to ask him more questions about himself outside of the club.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now," I said, and Gran paused to smile at me again.

"You have fun tonight, honey," she said, and then returned to her task.

"Thanks, Gran. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that I turned and walked out of the house to go meet Eric.

I followed the directions I had written down when I checked online to see where Eric's house was. He lived in a ritzy subdivision on the outskirts of Shreveport in a gated Georgian style estate set back from the street. He was at the end of a cul-de-sac and I had to wonder how many acres of property his house was situated on. When I pulled up to the gate I had to ring a buzzer in order to get the gate open.

"Yes," Eric's voice greeted me.

"It's Sookie," I said, figuring using my real name couldn't hurt. There was a keypad next to the little speaker box and I wondered if he would be giving me the code at some point to get in without having to buzz him.

"Perfect timing. Come on in. Park anywhere you like. I'll be waiting for you," he said, and then the gate opened slowly in front of me.

Eric's house was amazing. Hell, the _driveway_ was amazing. It was made of stone that had to have taken days to lay since it was so long and curved around in various ways once I got closer to the house. The lawn had to be professionally manicured, mostly because it was enormous and there were strategic patches of flowers. There was a fountain to my right that I assumed was easily spotted from the house. When I pulled up to what I thought was a good parking space I noticed Eric waiting for me.

He was standing in this little sheltered area that wasn't quite a gazebo, but that was what it looked like. The house's exterior was all sandy/brown shades of brick and the roof was black slate. I spotted two garages that held at least two cars apiece, and given the enormity of Eric's house I was curious as to how many cars he owned. Clearly he took pride in his residence and had spared no expense when he chose it. I parked my car, feeling like I should be interviewing to be on his household staff instead of going in to sign a contract to be his sub.

Eric came over to the car and opened my door for me before I could do it myself. His large hand extended toward me to help me out, and I hoped I didn't get my heel caught in the stones of his driveway. If I did I was going to end up eating it in a very tight and skimpy red dress, and with my luck I'd probably break the shoe on top of it.

"I'm impressed," Eric said when I stood.

"You shouldn't be. You picked the dress," I smiled.

"No, not with that," he said as he closed the car door behind me. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you look positively stunning and it does give me some very dirty ideas about how to seal the deal we're about to make, but I was referring to the fact that the antique you're driving still runs."

I wanted to be able to laugh that off, but considering the fact that he had just dropped the amount of money on me that he had and I had scrimped and saved for more than two years to be able to buy my own car, his words were offensive to me. My posture stiffened and I let go of his hand.

"It's not much, but it's mine," I said, determined to keep a stiff upper lip.

I wasn't expecting Eric's criticism to hurt me the way it did, and it was entirely possible I was taking it a little harder than I should have but I didn't like the idea of being demeaned when I had worked hard for what I had.

"Sookie, I meant no offense," Eric said. "I apologize if I hurt your feelings."

"It's just that I was raised with the things I needed and not much extra. Even now there's no money for cell phones or fancy clothes. My laptop is my big luxury item, and it took me several years of saving birthday and Christmas money in order to be able to afford it. I got held up when the fridge conked out on us two years ago and I had to devote a large portion of my savings to buying a new one. I help my Gran pay the property taxes every year and I pitch in with the monthly bills because Gran took me in when she didn't have to. I owe her more than I can ever possibly repay, and that means I make sacrifices. So yes, my car is an old tin can that makes a weird noise every time I go faster than fifty miles per hour, but it gets me to work, church and into town to run my errands so it's good enough for me," I said, and then realized I'd just given him the sort of tongue lashing Tara had warned me about just hours before.

Eric looked properly chastised for a few moments before he smiled at me. That damn smile was going to be the death of me.

"You're right," he said, and bent to kiss my forehead. "I admire your dedication and loyalty to your family. Those are two of the reasons I'm so sure that we're a good match."

"Are you close with your family?" I asked him.

"I used to be," he said in a somewhat cryptic way. "Come, let's go inside. Your dinner is getting cold."

"You're not eating?" I asked as he led me to the house.

"Late lunch," he patted his stomach.

"Oh," I said, and walked into the house when he gestured for me to go ahead of him.

He had duel front doors that were mostly frosted glass, but had cherry wood inlays in them in an interesting circular pattern. There was a Persian rug right there at the front door on top of cherry stained hardwood floors that matched the door inlays. Straight ahead was a fireplace that had openings on all four sides of it. There was a beautiful antique grandfather clock to my right, and beyond the open archway there was a formal living room.

When I looked to my left I saw a sitting area and two staircases. One led upstairs to the second floor and the other was gated and I assumed led down to the basement.

"After this evening when you enter the house you'll leave your shoes here," he pointed to a space near the grandfather clock. "Heels out and toes to the wall."

"Okay," I nodded, and reminded myself of that.

"After supper I'll give you a tour of the house," he said, and led me to the left.

The house was warmly and elegantly decorated. There were lots of expensive looking chandeliers hanging in various rooms of the house, and I tried not to look around too much so I wouldn't fall behind. Eric ushered me to the dining room where there was a meal waiting for me on very pretty china. A gorgeous chandelier hung from the ceiling that Gran would have been absolutely in love with, not just for its design but for the warm glow it cast over the room.

"Have a seat," Eric said, and pulled out a chair for me.

"Thank you," I said as I sat down. I set my purse on the chair next to mine.

The table was wooden and matched the floors and all of the trim on the walls perfectly. Eric took a seat across from me at the table that sat six. There were two manila folders on the table beside him, and there were two pens perfectly lined up just waiting to be used. I suspected the contracts we were going to sign were in the folders, but Eric didn't make a move to touch them.

My meal consisted of sautéed white meat chicken, roasted new potatoes and steamed vegetables. There was a glass of what I assumed was white wine, along with a goblet of ice water.

"This looks delicious. Did you make this?" I asked him.

"No," Eric smiled. "I'm not much of a chef, but I'm a pro at calling for takeout. I ordered based on what you said your preferred foods are."

I picked up my silverware and cut into the chicken. I took a bite after dipping the chicken in the sauce that had been drizzled over it, and smiled as I chewed.

"It tastes as delicious as it looks," I said, and Eric nodded.

"Good. It appears as though you eat a mostly healthy, balanced diet which is important. Not just for weight maintaining, but a balanced diet promotes better sleeping habits and psychological wellbeing."

Those things I knew so I just nodded along. I also knew he had plans to put me on a fitness plan, which was actually a good thing. I liked my curves and I hoped that he did as well, but there was always room for improvement. Not to mention, a little toning wouldn't hurt me and there were ways to accomplish that without having to drop a lot of weight, not that I thought I needed to.

"So, Eric, do you mind if I call you Eric? Or would you prefer that I call you Leif?" I asked since that was something simple that needed to be addressed.

"I'll leave that up to you," he told me. "When we're not in play, or at the club, Eric is fine with me. If you prefer Leif, that's alright as well. I'm used to responding to either one."

"I think I prefer Eric when we're alone," I admitted. "Of course being a Dom is part of you, but it's not all that you are and I don't want to confuse the different roles you'll be playing in my life."

"That's acceptable. Does that mean you would prefer that I address you as Sookie when we're alone?"

"If you don't mind. As you saw out on your driveway I've got a mouth on me when I'm not in sub mode," I said with a hint of a smile, and Eric laughed one of those hearty laughs I'd only heard once before.

"Indeed you do, but I like that. Being a sub doesn't mean being a doormat, Sookie. As I told you before, I don't want you to lose your sass or your fire; I only want you to recognize that there is a time and a place for it."

"Understood," I nodded.

"And for the record, I think I prefer Sookie more. It suits you."

"That's good to hear." I lifted my wine glass and took a sip.

Usually I wasn't a big wine drinker, but whatever it was that Eric had poured for me was sweet and tasted almost like candy. If I wasn't careful I'd end up drunk before the night was over and I had a long drive home ahead of me.

"So, Eric, can I ask what it is you do during the day? Are you an employee at the club, or is that just an interest of yours?" I asked him.

"The club is more than an interest; it's my business," he revealed.

"You own The Playground?" My eyes went wide. I wasn't expecting that. I thought maybe he was a member of the admissions committee or something, but I didn't think he was the owner.

"I co-own it, but I handle the business end. Madame Raven oversees the staff and the bartender is actually our head of security."

"Oh… wow…" I didn't know what else to say.

"This is confidential information that I expect will go no further than this house, Sookie," he said in a firm tone.

"Of course not. It's not my business to tell anyway. I'm good at keeping secrets, maybe a little _too_ good sometimes."

"And that's a habit we're going to work on breaking, but I understand that if I want your trust I need to earn it and that means sharing important details as well as basic information about myself."

"We are sort of on an uneven playing field right now. You know a lot more about me than I do about you," I said.

"You'll learn. I will tell you things, but the two of us spending time together will teach you all you need to know about me. In time you'll learn my tells and cues, and you'll be able to anticipate my needs as if they are your own."

"That sounds like it'll take a lot of training."

"It will," he agreed. "We'll start out on a trial basis to make sure this is a good fit for us. Things have gone well so far, but once we get into a scene you might find that I'm not what you're looking for, or the chemistry may fizzle."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," I admitted as my cheeks started to flame up.

I hoped it wouldn't be. I was insanely attracted to him physically, and after the massive orgasm I'd had on Sunday I could only imagine what fucking him would do to me. We continued to make small talk during my meal. He spoke a bit about the membership he'd signed me up for at a gym closer to my house so that I wouldn't have to come all the way into Shreveport. I would work with a personal trainer for one hour three times a week, and the goal was just muscle tone. Eric also signed me up for a yoga class that would help me improve my flexibility and teach me ways to relax.

"I've always wanted to take a yoga class, I just couldn't ever afford to do it," I told him.

"Well, now you can," he said as I pushed my plate to the side. "Are you full?"

"Yes, thank you. Dinner was fantastic."

"You're welcome." Eric picked up one of the folders and slid it toward me. "Your copy of the contract is in there, as well as the punishment chart I've devised for you."

I took the folder and flipped it open. Eric sent a pen skittering across the table toward me, and I caught that as well. Gran had always told me never to sign anything without reading it first, and while I wanted to trust that Eric hadn't snuck anything into it that we hadn't agreed upon, it still seemed smart to double check it before signing my name to it. The contract wasn't in anyway binding in a court of law or anything like that, but it was a safeguard for both of us and I knew we both took it very seriously.

Everything looked to be on the up and up, so I filled in my given name and my initials were I was supposed to, and then signed the last page of the contract. Beyond the contract was the punishment chart that Eric referred to. The chart was organized by levels of infractions, and for each level there were three different punishments listed there.

"That chart doesn't necessarily mean those are the punishments you will receive, but I will always make sure the punishment fits the crime," Eric said as I read.

It was good to see that not all of the punishments I could receive were physically painful, although I was curious about the kneeling for an allotted period of time. True the most time I spent on my knees was usually at church, but that was only for a few minutes before we were either seated again, or standing to sing hymns or take communion. I made a mental note to try it when I got home since my bedroom had hardwood floors.

None of the punishments that he had listed would violate my hard limits, although some of them did seem pretty daunting, especially if he paired some of them up. Of course that was just motivation to ensure I wasn't on the receiving end of those punishments.

Eric passed me his copy of the contract for me to sign, so I traded him mine and then signed off on his copy. He signed mine, and it was a done deal. I was officially his pet, and he was officially my Sir.

_And my life is never going to be the same._

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**There you have it; it's official. I know a lot of you are chomping at the bit for something more interesting to happen than just negotiations and you'll get a taste next chapter. Thanks for reading!**_  
_


	10. Chapter 10

**.:: WARNING ::.**

**This chapter contains explicit sexual content with D/s and/or BDSM material. This is NOT SAFE FOR WORK.**

**You have been warned.**

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**Chapter 10**

As promised, Eric took me on a tour of his house after we finished with the contract signing. We started by going to the kitchen so I could put my plate in the sink. Eric insisted I leave it there instead of cleaning up.

"Tonight is introductory, but I will expect you to clean up after yourself after tonight," he said.

"I will," I promised.

There wasn't a maid at Gran's house and she had always given Jason and me chores to do. I was no stranger to housework and I wasn't expecting Eric to pamper me. The kitchen was particularly gorgeous, and if he allowed me to take full advantage of all the appliances and counter space I was sure I could almost start my own bakery in there.

"When you are here the common areas of the house are free to you to use at any time," he said as he led me to the stairs that went down to another level. "Down here is where I do most of my entertaining when I have guests. There is a bedroom down here that will be yours when you spend the night. Until further notice sexual activity will mostly be restricted to playtime, and will take place at the club or upstairs in my playroom."

When we got downstairs there was a wet bar and a cozy sitting area. Eric opened one door to reveal a guest powder room, and the other door concealed the bedroom he'd spoken of. The bed was enormous and there was a love seat in the far corner. The furniture looked heavy and expensive, but it was tastefully decorated.

"You are welcome to leave things here if you like. Before you go tonight I'll have you write up a list of the things you need for hygienic purposes," Eric said, and then opened a door that led into a walk-in closet.

When I stepped into the closet the light went on and my eyes went wide at the selection of clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry and coats that were already organized and occupying space.

"Eric, this is... This is too much," I said as I looked around.

"Sookie, I told you it is my job to ensure that you have the things you need. There are times when you will accompany me to business functions, or we will meet with associates of mine and it will require you to be dressed accordingly. I assure you this was a small expense for me."

I suspected as much since I knew his house alone had to cost him a small fortune, but my pride and Gran's voice in my head made it difficult not to argue that all of this was unnecessary.

"I don't want you to think that I'm ungrateful for these things, Eric. They're all beautiful. The clothes are lovely, and I doubt I would ever buy a single one of these items for myself, but-"

"They're yours, Sookie. This isn't up for debate," Eric said firmly.

I bit my tongue before I got myself in trouble and asked a question that I thought was important since I wasn't sure of the answer and I wanted to be on the same page as Eric.

"So right now we're not in play, but the rules still apply, right?" I asked.

"Yes," he said.

"So if I get mouthy or start sassing you that would count against me?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Good to know. I had told him I wanted him to be tough on me in the beginning, and this was something I could change at any time if it wasn't working for me anymore. Knowing that made all the difference.

"Do you expect to have problems with that?" Eric asked as we left the closet.

"Yes, I do. You can't possibly be surprised by that."

"Not in the slightest," he said with a hint of amusement.

We continued on with the tour. His house was remarkable. It was a huge home, but it didn't feel cold the way some large houses did. I could feel Eric's energy in every room, and I positively lit up when we got to the library on the second floor. Eric had an office up there as well, but it was off limits to me. I had free use of the library anytime, and that was fine with me. Eric showed me where his bedroom was, but I didn't get to see inside of it. From there we went up to a third level that was on the west side of the house.

There was a home theater but more importantly, the playroom was up there. It was good to know there was a little kitchenette in the theater that was always stocked in case either one of us needed something. The playroom was the room I would most likely spend the most amount of time in. The walls were painted blood red and all of the 'furniture' in the room was black. A large, black armoire took up a good portion of one wall and Eric walked over it to open the doors to reveal quite the collection of sex toys.

There were vibrators, dildos, nipple clamps and weights, gags, blindfolds, restraints, ropes, butt plugs and a few other things I couldn't readily identify yet. The drawers contained cleaning and first aid supplies that had me asking, "Is that stuff for scenes, or to clean up with when we're through?"

"They're for cleanup," Eric answered. "After tonight you will address me as Sir or Master when we are in this room. I will call you Sookie or pet. To start out with and to build up your tolerance, we'll stick to old fashioned hand spankings."

Eric put his hand on the small of my back and led me to this bench contraption that had a cushioned top to it that I would be able to rest my upper body against rather comfortably. There were two smaller benches about knee height for me to kneel on.

"Try it out," he suggested, and I climbed onto it. Not easy to do without flashing him my lady business, but he was going to see it soon enough anyway. "This is the spanking bench. Get familiar with it. You will be spending a lot of time on it."

I bent forward over the top and put my forearms down on the padded rest spots. There were restraints already attached to the table by D-rings, but if we got into rope bondage Eric would be able to use that as well. Comfort wise it wouldn't be my preferred place to hang out and relax, but I supposed there were worse places to be. There were stocks in the corner, and that was something on my no list, at least for the time being. Eric leaned over me and one at a time fastened the restraints to my wrists and then my ankles so I would get the full effect.

"Are you wearing panties, Sookie?" he asked as his fingertips started to ghost up my bare thigh.

"No, Sir," I responded in a breathy voice.

"When we are in this room you will speak only when spoken to unless I give you permission to speak freely," he said as his fingers toyed with the hem of my skirt. "When you come into this room you will kneel and put your hands behind your back, and remain in that position until I give you instructions. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Very good. Earlier we talked about safe words and the color warning system. Green means that your feeling okay and alright to proceed. Yellow means that you need for things to slow down. Red means that whatever is happening is too much and it needs to stop immediately. Your safe word is 'octopus,' and just to make absolutely sure that you have a way of communicating with me that you need to stop, I want you to snap your fingers three times. The nonverbal cue is necessary because there are times when you will be gagged and unable to speak. The safe word can be used at any time, including during a punishment, but it isn't a way to avoid your punishment. If, at any time, I suspect that is what you are doing I will impose a one month break from your training to give you time to reconsider whether or not this is truly the lifestyle you want. We are both here of our own free will and as informed, consenting adults."

"Yes, Sir," I agreed. The only way I would use a safe word during a punishment was if it was something detrimental to my health, like if I was close to blacking out or something like that. Otherwise I would take the pain and let it motivate me to do better next time.

"Now when we are playing and you receive a spanking it is different from a punishment spanking," Eric informed me. "When you are spanked during play there will be warm ups to prepare your skin for the impact. It will help to prevent bruising." His hand started to rub over my backside in a slow, gentle way. "With punishment there are no warm ups, and I will not always wait until we are here in the playroom to carry out your punishment. If, for example, you get mouthy with me in the kitchen I could simply bend you over the counter and spank you with a wooden spoon."

My breath caught at his words, not just from the image they evoked, but because of the tone of voice he used to say them. I felt myself getting wet at the idea of it so when Eric pulled my skirt up around my waist a few seconds later I started to squirm a little.

"But this isn't all just about punishment, Sookie. My role is to correct your behavior in order to help you better serve me, but when you do well and follow the rules I will reward you," he said, and I felt his fingertips on my lower lips.

I sucked in a breath and tried not to move. In the position I was in with my skirt up around my waist I was exposed to him.

"You're getting wet for me," he said as his fingers probed a bit more. "Tell me what's making you wet."

"Your fingers on me, Sir," I said. "And the talk about spanking."

"Good girl," he said, and to reward me for my honesty he slid one of his fingers inside me.

I moaned and rested my face against the cool pleather surface of the cushioned bench top. His finger began to pump in and out, making me a little wetter with each pass.

"This is reward," he told me. "Do you want to taste punishment?"

Did I? I hadn't planned on it, but I supposed it would be a good idea so I said, "Yes, Sir."

He withdrew his finger from me and I turned my head in time to see him lick it clean. There was a small groan of appreciation from him and then he said, "Your cunt tastes delicious, pet."

The dirty words sent a ripple of naughty happiness through me. Again there was that feeling of pride for having pleased him, but I barely had time to think about it before there was the stinging impact of his hand spanking my left cheek hard. I whimpered as my blood rushed to the site of the impact and the pain started to radiate outward.

"What color are we, Sookie?" he asked me.

"Green," I answered.

His hand moved over my right cheek for just a moment and then came down just as hard as it did on the left side. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there were two handprints forming on my ass because of it. My eyes started to sting with tears, and if I was that close to crying after only two swats I was in trouble when the punishment called for ten.

"You're doing well," Eric said in that tender, assuring voice and started to rub the pain away. "What color are we?"

"Green."

"Very good. I'm going to release you from the restraints now," he said, and got to work unfastening them. Once I was free he helped me stand up, but left my skirt where it was bunched around my waist. "I'm going to reward you for doing such a good job. Get on your knees."

I had a feeling I knew what was coming, but I did as I was told. I knelt down and put my hands behind my back, clasping them under my bottom. Eric walked around me a few times, letting me sweat it out, until he came to a stop in front of me.

"Take off my belt," he instructed.

I reached up to do as he asked, and then unzipped his pants when he told me to.

"Now reach in and take out my cock," he said. "Remember what I said about eye contact."

My eyes darted up to his immediately as I reached into his pants. Eric was definitely playing with a longboat, and it made me a little nervous since my ex was the only man I'd ever been with and he certainly wasn't Eric's size. Eric didn't need to tell me what to do next but he did anyway.

"Suck my cock, pet. Show me your skills."

I tried not to let my nerves get the better of me, or the fact that Eric was still practically a stranger. I told myself that we would get to know each other better, and this was what I had signed on for. It was time to nut up or shut up, so I leaned in and let my tongue dart out. I licked the underside of his cock from base to tip, making sure to keep my eyes on his. My tongue swirled around the head of his erection a few times and then my hand started stroking him. One of his hands moved to thread into my hair, and when my lips closed around his cock he started to thrust his hips just a little bit. My head started to bob and my hand continued to stroke what didn't fit in my mouth. I was, by no means, a pro when it came to giving head. My ex had been patient with me about it, but all I knew was what he liked and I knew every man was different so I tried to keep it simple.

Eric started to thrust a little more and asked, "Are you still green?"

I nodded that I was as best I could with his cock in my mouth and kept going. A point came when he pulled away and for a second I thought I'd done something wrong, but Eric quickly cleared things up for me.

"How sensitive is your gag reflex?" he asked.

"I'm not sure."

"I want to test it. When I thrust forward again I'm going to keep going until I hit the back of your throat. When I do I want you to swallow," he said.

"Deepthroat," I said.

"Very good. Do you have much experience with it?"

"I've done it a few times but my ex isn't as large as you are. There wasn't much to deepthroat."

"I see," Eric smiled a bit. What guy didn't want to hear the word 'large' being used to describe his cock? "Are you comfortable allowing me to test you?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Very good. Still green?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Open for me, pet," he said after tracing over my lips with the head of his cock.

My mouth opened at his request and he slid back into me. He thrust a few times before his other hand threaded into my hair as well, and he went deeper than before. I tried to breathe through my nose but that wasn't easy to do either when I knew what was about to happen. When I felt the tip of his cock nudge my throat I started to swallow. It was much easier said than done, but I did it.

Eric wasn't able to get his entire cock down my throat before I started to gag, but deepthroat training was something I had read about. I could master it if given enough time and patience. When he had gone far enough Eric pulled out entirely to allow me to breathe. I sucked in air and realized the lack of oxygen had forced a few tears out of my eyes, but before I could reach up to wipe then away, Eric was doing it for me.

"What color, pet?"

"Still green."

I took his cock back into my mouth to finish what I'd started, and it wasn't much longer before Eric was warning me that he was about to cum, and that was my ultimate reward, knowing I had pleased him so much that it made him orgasm. His cum was a privilege and one I should always strive to have. I felt him twitch a bit and then swell before he released in my mouth. I swallowed quickly but not fast enough. Some of his cum leaked from my mouth and onto my chin, but when he pulled out I didn't use my hand to wipe my chin; I used my tongue.

"Thank you, Sir," I said, remembering the rule about thanking him for letting me swallow his cum.

"Good girl," he said, and offered me one of those neck caresses. "You may stand up now."

Eric helped me back to my feet and I felt a little strange standing there with my dress all bunched up but Eric hadn't told me to fix it, nor had he fixed it himself.

"Now would you like to experience a play spanking?" he offered.

"Yes, Sir," I said eagerly.

"Take off your dress and then get back on the bench. This time I won't restrain you."

I was a little shaky as I took off the dress he had given me, but I did it, and I carefully laid it down on the nearby table so it wouldn't get stepped on or stained. Afterward I climbed back onto the bench and assumed my earlier position. That time Eric stroked and caressed my lower back, thighs and my ass before delivering the first swat. It wasn't quite as hard as the punishment spankings had been, but there was still a sting. I groaned and held onto the armrests.

"What color are we?" he asked.

"Green."

A few more gentle touches later there was another slap on the other cheek.

"Sookie, I want you to start counting them out loud so I can hear you," he said.

"Yes, Sir."

Unlike with the punishment spanking there was some recovery time between each strike, and when I counted to three he rewarded me with his fingers. By then I was plenty wet and he had little trouble sliding two fingers into me.

"Your cunt is tight, pet," he said as he twisted his fingers a little inside me.

"Thank you, Sir."

"What color are we?"

"Very green," I said as I started to feel an orgasm approaching.

But before we could go much farther he took his fingers away and resumed my spanking. Another five swats and his fingers were back inside me. By then I was sure my ass was glowing since it wasn't used to being handled that way. I moaned and wiggled a little when Eric's thumb brushed against my clit.

"Are you close to cumming, Sookie?"

"Yes, Sir," I panted.

"Try to hold it," he instructed, and applied more pressure to my clit.

I cried out and made my eyes focus on the intricate carving on the side of the armoire to distract myself from the sensations I was feeling. Eric pulled his fingers out again and resumed my spanking.

At intervals of five he would pause to finger me some more until finally I couldn't take it, and I begged for him to let me cum.

"Not yet," he said. "You're doing very well so far, pet. I'm proud of you."

Hearing those words made me feel good, but all of the build up only to _not _release was starting to get painful.

"Thank you, Sir."

Before I could start pleading again with him, though, I felt a different part of him gliding between my folds. Eric was hard again and I was thrilled at the idea of fucking him. I wanted it badly.

"Do you want my cock in your tight little cunt, Sookie?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"What color are we?"

"About to be blue, Sir, if I don't cum," I said without thinking about being cheeky.

Lucky for me we weren't engaged in a scene or I would have been punished. Instead Eric laughed and put just the tip of his cock inside me.

"How does that feel, Sookie?"

"Very good, Sir."

"Do you want more?"

"Yes, Sir, I want all of you in me," I said in an almost desperate tone of voice.

Without further warning Eric thrust all the way in. I cried out and grabbed the armrests again. Holy fuck he was big. He waited a moment to give me time to adjust, but when he thrust his hips it was fast and hard, almost punishing. He grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled my head back.

"This cunt is Mine now, pet. I will tell you when it gets to cum and my cock is the only one permitted inside it. Now who does this cunt belong to?" he demanded.

"You, Sir," I said as he pounded into me.

"Good girl," he said, and fucked me harder.

It didn't take long for my orgasm to build and I asked, "Please, Sir, can I cum?"

"You may," he said, and even reached under me to rub my clit to help me along.

A string of incoherent sounds came from my mouth and my muscles clamped down hard on his cock when my orgasm exploded. I saw flashes of color behind my eyes and for a second it felt like I left my own body. Eric continued to pound into me at the same pace and it didn't take long before I was back at the edge.

"Please, Sir, can I cum?" I pleaded, even though I didn't think I needed his permission since we weren't in play. I was going to need for him to clarify the boundaries on some of the rules.

"You may," he said.

"Oh thank you, Sir!" I shouted as the orgasm started. I thanked him over and over until I calmed down.

Half a dozen hard thrusts later Eric was cumming as well, but he pulled out and came on my ass and thighs. At the club condoms were mandatory but here it was another story. Both of us were clean per our medical records, and I was on birth control. At first I couldn't move. My muscles were spent and I was exhausted. Eric was kind enough to retrieve a napkin from the cleanup drawer and wipe his cum off of me.

"What color are we, Sookie?"

"Green," I smiled at him. "Thank you, Eric."

As meaningful as it was to call him Sir, it felt like I needed to thank him as man who had just fucked me well and not just because he was my Dom.

He sweetly kissed my forehead and said, "You're welcome, Sookie."

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**Worth waiting for? And for the third and FINAL TIME, Sookie is NOT a telepath. If she was, it would have been mentioned by now. I am not even going to bother answering this in another author's note. Thanks for reading!**


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